Chiacciata and Sopranoti Flavors Festival

A village festival in the heart of the Sopranoti

The Chiacciata and Sopranoti Flavors Festival takes place in Santo Stefano di Briga, a district of the Messina municipality located about 13 kilometers south of the city center, along the valley crossed by the Santo Stefano stream. The village inhabitants are affectionately called Sopranoti, and the event revolves around this community identity, bringing the most authentic flavors of the Messinese popular tradition to the table.

The Feast of Saint John

The festival is rooted in the Feast of Saint John, the local patron saint, a deeply felt occasion for the community. The event, organized with the support of the Saint John Parish and local volunteers, combines religious observance with conviviality: an evening of entertainment, culture, and tasting that attracts residents and visitors from neighboring districts and the city.

Sopranoti Flavors

The heart of the event is village cooking—simple yet generous. Among the specialties featured at the food stalls:

• Sopranote Chiacciate (scacciate), the typical oven-baked stuffed focaccias;
• Fried Pidoni, the famous Messinese stuffed calzones;
• Maccheroni with sauce, a traditional first course;
• Pane cunsatu, seasoned with oil, tomatoes, cheese, and anchovies;
• Fried dough, crespelle, and desserts to close the evening.

These simple and affordable dishes are enjoyed outdoors in an intimate, family atmosphere, quite different from the large-scale events in the center of Messina.

Music and Atmosphere

The tasting is accompanied by live music, which enlivens the evening and guides visitors between the stalls. The format is that of a community feast: free entry, pay-as-you-go food, and a great desire to be together in one of the most characteristic villages of the Messinese Ionian coast, in Sicily.