Cammino di San Felice da Nicosia Pilgrimage

A pilgrimage in the footsteps of San Felice

The Cammino di San Felice da Nicosia is one of the most evocative religious trails in inland Sicily. It is a Franciscan walking pilgrimage that retraces, over approximately 60 kilometres, the ancient paths that once connected Tusa, on the coast of the Alesa region in the province of Messina, to Nicosia, the saint's birthplace in the heart of the province of Enna. Originally, the route was a horseback pilgrimage undertaken by the faithful who would ride from Tusa to Nicosia every August; today, it is a slow-travel journey covered on foot over three or four days.

Who was San Felice da Nicosia

Born in Nicosia in 1715 as Filippo Giacomo Amoruso and passing away in 1787, San Felice was a humble Capuchin friar, renowned for his gentleness and charity. His life inspires this engaging pilgrimage, which draws walkers and pilgrims of all ages from across Sicily every year. The trail has been included in the National Catalogue of Religious Paths.

The route and the stages

The route, of moderate difficulty, crosses a territory that stretches from the Madonie to the Nebrodi mountains, through villages, forests, and nature reserves. The main stages stop in some of the most characteristic towns of the Sicilian hinterland:

• First stage: from Tusa, starting from the former Capuchin Convent, towards Pettineo
• Second stage: from Pettineo to Mistretta, passing through Motta d'Affermo
• Third stage: from Mistretta towards the Sambughetti-Campanito Nature Reserve, in the territory of Cerami
• Final stage: from Cerami to Nicosia and the Capuchin Convent

An experience of faith and nature

Along the way, pilgrims are welcomed by the communities of the towns they pass through, with moments of prayer, celebrations in local parishes, and opportunities for fellowship. In Mistretta, for example, the group is traditionally hosted at the parish of Santa Caterina. The Cammino di San Felice thus combines the spiritual dimension of the Franciscan pilgrimage with slow tourism and hiking, helping participants rediscover the values of simplicity and essentiality cherished by the Capuchin saint.

When it takes place

The pilgrimage is traditionally held in the month of August and is organized by the Capuchin Convent of Nicosia together with the Cammino di San Felice association. Each edition features a different spiritual theme that accompanies hikers throughout their journey between the municipalities of Tusa and Nicosia, in the provinces of Messina and Enna, Sicily.