Madonna della Stella Festival

The 2025 Madonna della Stella Festival was celebrated on the last weekend of August in Santa Maria la Stella, a district of Aci Sant'Antonio (Catania), following the traditional calendar that sets the patronal feast on the last Sunday of the month.

The festivities opened with the novena and the unveiling of the patron saint's statue to the sound of bells and firecrackers. The brass band paraded through the village streets, followed by the procession of the fercolo with its characteristic exit from the sanctuary thanks to the lowering canopy and the evocative "calata dell'Angelo". The solemn Eucharistic celebration was presided over by the diocesan Bishop. The day concluded with the "Trasuta o Chianu", the triumphal return to Piazza Pio XI amidst fireworks and festive bells. Alongside the religious events, the Sagra degli Antichi Sapori enlivened the church square with food stalls and entertainment.