Larderia Carnival Festival

A festival that captures the heart of the Larderia Carnival

The Larderia Carnival Festival is one of the most beloved celebrations of the Carnival season in the southern area of Messina. It takes place in the hillside village of Larderia, one of the historic districts of the Municipality of Messina, in the province of Messina (Sicily), specifically in Piazza Maria S.S. di Dinnammare, in the heart of Larderia Inferiore. It is organized by the Selene Sociocultural Association, which has been managing the event for years, highlighting both its gastronomic aspects and its cultural and identity-based roots.

Maccheroni with pork scuccidde sauce

The signature dish of the festival is the homemade maccheroni, strictly kneaded by hand by the local women using the ancient knitting needle method, around which the pasta is wrapped to create its characteristic central hole. The sauce is the famous pork scuccidde sauce, prepared with cuts of pork provided by the village butchers: a flavorful ragù that has become the recognizable signature of Larderia, appreciated far beyond the borders of the Messina province.

Beyond maccheroni: the traditional menu

Alongside the main dish, the festival offers all the goodness of local popular cuisine, prepared by the women and businesses of the village:

• Sausage sandwiches grilled over charcoal;
• Wine from the surrounding hills;
• Chiacchiere and typical Carnival sweets;
• Pignolata and honey from Larderia producers.

Masks, dances, and allegorical floats

The festival is not just about gastronomy: the square comes alive with live music, masked dances, comedy sketches, and allegorical floats that parade through the village streets. In the past, the event has also hosted photographic exhibitions and historical documentation dedicated to the heritage of Larderia, confirming the cultural vocation of the Selene Association. During the Carnival days, the village transforms into a small festive town, where residents of all ages and visitors from the surroundings of Messina gather to share tradition and joy.

A village with ancient roots

Larderia is a district of ancient origins, already mentioned in medieval documents of the Messina territory. Today, the Carnival Festival represents one of its most important identity-defining events, capable of keeping alive a gastronomic and popular tradition handed down from generation to generation, in the full convivial spirit of the Sicilian Carnival.