Feast of Saints Alfio, Filadelfo, and Cirino (with the Great Cerei Gala)

One of the oldest patronal festivals on Mount Etna

The Feast of Saints Alfio, Filadelfo, and Cirino is the primary devotional event for the Town of Trecastagni, an Etnean village in the Metropolitan City of Catania, Sicily. According to tradition, the three brother Martyrs, originally from Vaste, were martyred in Lentini in 253 AD. The Sanctuary of Trecastagni stands on the very site associated with their journey, becoming a destination for a cult that attracts thousands of pilgrims every year.

The cerei and the pilgrimages

The most iconic symbol of the festival is the votive cerei: massive, elaborately decorated candles carried on shoulders through the village streets as a sign of gratitude to the Saints. Many devotees reach Trecastagni on foot, some barefoot, joining pilgrimages that converge at the Sanctuary. It is a manifestation of popular faith deeply rooted in the identity of the Trecastagni community and the entire Etnean territory.

The festival program

The festivities traditionally take place in May and span several days. The opening is announced by twenty-one cannon shots from the Forte Mulino a Vento, while the eve marks the inauguration of the Piano Sciarelle Fair. Recurring events include:

• Great Cerei Gala in Piazza Marconi, the main evening featuring religious and civil authorities, guests, and a fireworks display
• Music Festival and sacred chants in honor of the Saint Martyrs
• Procession of the Relics through the historic center with clergy, confraternities, and authorities
• May 10th: The solemn day, featuring the homage of the cerei to the statues of the Saints on the Sanctuary parvis and evening fireworks in Piazza Marconi
• Pyromusical competition between local districts and the festive return of the cerei to the Sanctuary

A second devotional moment in September

Devotion to the three brother martyrs does not end in May: on the first Sunday of September, Trecastagni commemorates the passage of the Saints with the exposition of the statues, the second annual appointment of the patronal cult.

Between faith, tradition, and Etnean identity

Visiting the Sant'Alfio Feast means immersing yourself in one of the most authentic expressions of Sicilian popular religiosity: a blend of the sacred and the profane where the procession of the cerei, fireworks, and the fair coexist in the unique setting of the slopes of Mount Etna.