Festa Granni — Quinquennial Solemnity of the Madonna degli Ammalati

The Festa Granni of San Gregorio di Catania

The Festa Granni — literally the "Great Feast" — is a quinquennial solemnity dedicated to the Madonna degli Ammalati, venerated as the co-patron saint of San Gregorio di Catania, a town in the Etna metropolitan area of Sicily. Unlike annual celebrations, this event is held only every five years, making it the most important and eagerly awaited appointment for the community, drawing entire families and many emigrants back to town for the occasion.

An Ancient Devotion

The heart of the festival is the Church of Santa Maria degli Ammalati, a 17th-century building overlooking Piazza Guglielmo Marconi, rebuilt in Baroque style after earthquake damage. The interior houses massive decorated columns, a wooden pulpit with gilded stucco, a 1791 canvas by the Catanese painter Giuseppe Gramignani, and tempera paintings by Sebastiano Conti Consoli. Traditionally, the processions that wind through the town's streets start from this church, marking the deep bond between the town and its Madonna.

Days of Faith and Celebration

During the Festa Granni, the religious dimension intertwines with civic and popular life. The calendar includes solemn Eucharistic celebrations, moments of prayer, and the procession of the statue of the Madonna degli Ammalati, accompanied by the entire community. Alongside liturgical events, there are concerts, performances, and initiatives that bring the town's squares to life.

• Solemn celebrations in honor of the Madonna degli Ammalati
• Procession of the statue through the town streets
• Concert by the "Città di San Gregorio" Musical Band
• Evening performances and shows in the square
• Moments of popular celebration and community gathering

A Rare and Defining Appointment

The five-year cycle makes the Festa Granni an exceptional event in the liturgical and social life of San Gregorio di Catania: for the faithful, it is an extraordinary opportunity to renew their devotion to the Madonna degli Ammalati, and for the town, a moment of strong collective identity. Those visiting the Province of Catania during this recurrence have the chance to experience an authentic Sicilian religious tradition, far from major tourist circuits and deeply rooted in the Etna community.