Bisacquino Festival of Excellence

A festival for the excellence of the Sicani village

The Festival of Excellence is a food and wine event that brings Bisacquino to life every June. This charming village in the Sicani Mountains, located in the province of Palermo, lies in the heart of inland Sicily. Promoted by the Municipality of Bisacquino, the festival aims to showcase local agricultural products and transform them into a development engine for a historic small town focusing on quality and authenticity to foster its rebirth.

The star products

At the heart of the event are the local specialties, the fruit of an ancient agricultural and milling tradition; Bisacquino has historically been dedicated to grain processing thanks to its numerous mills. Among the typical products presented at the stands of the Village of Excellence, highlights include:

• The busacchinara onion, still hand-cultivated using traditional methods
• Extra virgin olive oil and local aromatic herbs
• Sicilian black bee honey
• Ancient grain pasta and flours from local mills
• Ostrich meat, an example of innovative local production
• Craft beer and local wines

Show cooking, conferences, and tastings

The festival program weaves together culture, discussion, and taste. The day opens with a conference in the Frank Capra Hall of the Civic Museum, dedicated to the value of local production and the regeneration of small villages. In the afternoon, the spotlight is on signature show cooking, while in the evening, the Village of Excellence is inaugurated in the Civic Museum Gardens, featuring stands, tastings of local products and wines, meetings with producers, live music, and entertainment for children.

Bisacquino, a village to discover

The festival is also an opportunity to visit Bisacquino, the birthplace of three-time Oscar-winning director Frank Capra, and to immerse yourself in the landscape of the Sicani Mountains. The initiative, supported by the ESA (Agricultural Development Agency) and co-financed by the Sicilian Region as part of the 'Sicilia che Piace' program, serves as a pilot project for the cultural, social, and economic regeneration of small villages at risk of abandonment. Admission to all activities is free.