Feast of Emperor Saint Constantine

A unique patronal feast in Sicily

The Feast of Emperor Saint Constantine is the main religious and popular celebration in Capri Leone, a small town in the Nebrodi mountains in the province of Messina, overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea with views of the Aeolian Islands. Capri Leone represents a unique case in Sicily: together with the Sardinian town of Sedilo, it is the only village on the island that venerates Emperor Constantine as its patron saint and protector. This devotion is also evidenced by a precious 17th-century painting preserved in the church dedicated to the Saint, depicting the emperor being baptized by Pope Sylvester.

When it takes place

The festival traditionally falls on the last Saturday of July and intertwines with the celebrations for the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Annunciation, held on the last Sunday of the month: an entire weekend of faith and tradition that brings the historic center of Capri Leone to life. In 2025, the Feast of Saint Constantine took place on Saturday, July 26, while the following Sunday was dedicated to the Madonna Annunziata.

The program: faith and festivities

The heart of the day is religious: the solemn mass in honor of the patron precedes the procession with the statue of Saint Constantine, carried on shoulders through the streets of the town amidst prayers, a marching band, and the participation of the entire community. As evening falls, the festival takes on a festive atmosphere with musical performances in the square and traditional fireworks that conclude the celebrations, lighting up the sky over the Nebrodi.

• Solemn mass in honor of Emperor Saint Constantine
• Procession of the patron's statue through the historic center
• Evening musical performance in the square
• Grand finale fireworks display

A Nebrodi village to discover

The festival is also the perfect opportunity to visit Capri Leone, a village of Norman origins whose name, according to tradition, recalls the 15th-century fountain featuring two marble lions. Included in a broader calendar of summer events in the municipality, the patronal feast combines devotion, music, and conviviality in one of the many small towns that preserve the most authentic identity of inland Sicily.