Erice International Early Music Festival

A seven-century journey within the walls of Erice

The Erice International Early Music Festival is one of the most refined events dedicated to the early music repertoire in Sicily. Founded in the mid-nineties and curated by the MEMA - Mediterranean Music Association (formerly Amici della Musica di Trapani), the festival takes the audience on a journey through seven centuries of musical history, from medieval chant and Renaissance polyphony to the splendor of the Baroque, with forays into the dialogue between early music, jazz, and contemporary languages.

A unique setting in the medieval village

The concerts take place in the most fascinating locations of the historic center of Erice, an ancient village perched over 750 meters high on Mount San Giuliano, in the heart of the province of Trapani. The festival's traditional venues include the Church of San Martino, the Wigner-San Francesco Institute of the Ettore Majorana Foundation, the A. Cordici Museum Center, the courtyard of Palazzo Sales, and other monumental spaces in the village. The acoustics of the medieval churches and the silent atmosphere of the stone alleys make every concert an immersive experience.

International ensembles and soloists

Every year, the festival hosts groups specialized in early music performed on period instruments and according to historical performance practice: from the vielle, rebec, and psaltery of the medieval repertoire to the lute and harpsichord of the Renaissance and Baroque. Over the years, the festival has featured projects such as Sicilian medieval music from the Tropario di Catania and the Chansonnier du Roi, reinterpretations of Monteverdi, and staged moments like "Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda," as well as original "Baroque musical dinners" that combine listening with period gastronomy.

Between tradition and outreach

Alongside the concerts, the festival offers masterclasses, meetings, and collateral initiatives dedicated to early dance, poetry, and the rediscovery of the Mediterranean's musical heritage. The event is sponsored by the Municipality of Erice, the Sicilian Region, and various Italian and foreign cultural institutions, confirming its status as a landmark event for lovers of classical music and those wishing to discover Erice in a setting of cultural excellence.