Ancient Grains, Cereals and Legumes Harvest Festival

A celebration of the land in the heart of the Sicani Mountains

The Ancient Grains, Cereals and Legumes Harvest Festival is one of the most cherished summer events in Cianciana, an agricultural village in the province of Agrigento nestled in the Sicani Mountains, in the heart of Sicily. Established in 2019, the event has grown with each edition to become a showcase for local peasant culture and its most authentic products, attracting visitors from across the Platani Valley and beyond.

The Manciata di ciciri e favi

The ritual that opens the festival is the famous Manciata di ciciri e favi, a tradition with ancient roots linked to thanking the earth for the abundance of the harvest. Chickpeas, fava beans, and wheat are cooked in large copper pots and offered for free to attendees, accompanied by local red wine: a gesture of sharing that encapsulates the convivial and communal spirit of the event.

Local products

The festival is above all a tribute to the agri-food excellence of Cianciana and the Sicani Mountains:

• Red Chickpea of Cianciana, the village's signature legume;
• Sicani Mountains Truffle, a precious product of the Sicilian undergrowth;
• Platani Valley Pistachio;
• Ancient grains and olive oil of the local variety, the foundation of the region's peasant cuisine.

Conferences, showcooking, and performances

In addition to tastings, the program alternates between conferences on agroecology and the promotion of typical products, showcooking with chefs and master pastry chefs, moments of traditional music, and evening concerts in the square. In recent editions, the festival has hosted names from the Sicilian and national music and entertainment scene, enlivening the evenings in the historic center.

Cianciana and the Sicani Mountains

Visiting the festival is also an opportunity to discover Cianciana, a village with a strong agricultural and artisanal character that has become a destination for slow tourism in recent years, attracting foreign residents drawn to the landscape of the Sicani Mountains. The event, promoted by the Municipality of Cianciana, is part of a project to enhance the territory, intertwining food and wine, popular traditions, and the rural identity of inland Sicily.

The dates for the 2026 edition have not yet been officially announced: the festival is traditionally held between the end of July and the first days of August, in Piazza Aldo Moro.