Caltavuturo International Folklore Festival

A cultural crossroads in the heart of the Madonie

Each summer, the small town of Caltavuturo, perched in the Madonie mountains in the province of Palermo, becomes a meeting point for distant peoples and traditions. The International Folklore Festival draws folk groups from all over the world to this Sicilian village, where they spend four evenings enlivening the Teatro Falcone e Borsellino with the dances, songs, music, and traditional costumes of their homelands. It is a journey through global folk cultures, set against the backdrop of the Madonie mountains and the warmth of Sicilian hospitality.

The Gruppo Folk Gazzara and the Ballo della Cordella

The festival is organized by the Associazione Gruppo Folkloristico Gazzara, founded in 1988 in Caltavuturo by a group of enthusiasts dedicated to researching, preserving, and passing on the folk heritage of the Madonie and Sicily. The group is part of the CIOFF (International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts) network, an international organization recognized by UNESCO that brings together folklore festivals worldwide.

The centerpiece of the group's repertoire is the famous Ballo della Cordella, an ancient propitiatory dance linked to the wheat harvest in the Madonie countryside. Dancers perform around a three-meter-high pole topped with a bundle of mature wheat, from which twenty-four colored ribbons hang. As the dancers weave and unweave these ribbons, they evoke the passing of months and seasons—a living tradition that the Gruppo Gazzara performs both in Italy and abroad.

Festival evenings

Performances typically begin late in the evening, around 10:00 PM, when the cool August air invites audiences to fill the theater. Guest companies take the stage in colorful traditional costumes, showcasing the choreography, music, and instruments of their respective countries in a series of performances that culminate in a festive exchange between delegations. The 2025 edition featured groups from Colombia, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, and Serbia, alongside the hosts, the Gruppo Gazzara, representing Italy.

Caltavuturo and the Madonie region

Caltavuturo is a village within the Madonie Park, in the province of Palermo, nestled in a landscape of mountains, forests, and ancient trails. The festival is the perfect opportunity to discover this corner of inland Sicily, far from the beaten path, and to experience the authenticity of a community that has made the promotion of its roots a true vocation. Between performances, the village offers picturesque views, local flavors, and the hospitality typical of Madonie towns.