Feast of the Patronage of Saint Lucy and Floats

The summer festival of Belpasso

In the heart of the Etna summer, on the first Sunday of August, the town of Belpasso (province of Catania, Sicily) gathers around its patron saint for the Feast of the Patronage of Saint Lucy. This summer event complements the famous December celebrations, showcasing the extraordinary scenic machines known simply as the Floats of Saint Lucy under the sun of the Catania Plain.

The allegorical floats and the "spaccata"

These floats are not mere decorations: they are massive Baroque mechanical structures, built on trailers, which can exceed fifteen meters in height and reach ten meters in width. During the summer festival, the floats from the Matrice and Sant'Antonio districts, preserved by the Carri di Santa Lucia Foundation, are presented. The most anticipated moment is the so-called "spaccata": the scenic panels that enclose the float begin to move, rise, rotate, and open, revealing painted and sculpted scenes that tell the story of the life, martyrdom, and cult of the Saint.

The memory of August 6, 1943

The Feast of the Patronage has precise historical roots. It commemorates August 6, 1943, when—according to local Belpasso lore—an unexpected mechanical failure stopped the occupying troops' vehicles, sparing the town from destruction during the Second World War. The community interpreted this event as the patron saint's protection over her city: ever since, every summer, civilians and the faithful gather to renew their gratitude to Saint Lucy.

Tradition and identity

Patron saint of Belpasso since 1636, Saint Lucy is the center of the religious and civic identity of this town on the slopes of Mount Etna. Amidst 18th-century chiseled silver reliquaries, devotional songs, and intense popular participation, the summer festival is also an opportunity to discover the art of the craftsmen who build the floats, a living expression of the Sicilian Baroque. The nearby Mechanè, a museum dedicated to these scenic machines, keeps this extraordinary tradition alive and tells its story all year round.