Madonna delle Grazie Feast and Tunnina Tuna Festival

A celebration of faith and sea flavors

On the first weekend of July, Ispica—a town in the province of Ragusa, in the heart of south-eastern Sicily—experiences one of its most heartfelt moments of the year. The Madonna delle Grazie Feast and the Tunnina Tuna Festival merge into a single event that combines religious devotion, conviviality, and the great gastronomic tradition of the Iblean sea. The focal point is the square of the Church of Madonna delle Grazie, which for a few days becomes the city's open-air living room.

Devotion to the Madonna delle Grazie

The religious feast, organized by the Confraternity of Madonna delle Grazie, marks the days with liturgical rites, prayer, and cultural and charitable initiatives. The heart of the celebration is the solemn procession with the statue of the Virgin, which travels through the streets of the historic center on the evening of the first Sunday of July, accompanied by a brass band and followed by traditional fireworks that illuminate the Ispica sky.

The Tunnina Tuna Festival, a triumph of tuna

Alongside the religious festivities comes the Tunnina Tuna Festival (the local dialect term for tuna), which reaches its twenty-first edition in 2026. Established in 2002 by the Pro Loco Spaccaforno—Spaccaforno was the ancient name of Ispica until 1935—the event celebrates fresh Sicilian tuna prepared in many variations of local seafood cuisine:

• Grilled Tonnina, cooked over embers
• Tonnina with onions, following the ancient sweet-and-sour recipe
• Tuna arancini, one of the most popular specialties
• Raw tuna, accompanied by excellent extra virgin olive oil and fragrant Sicilian lemon

The evenings are enlivened by musical performances, dance shows, and entertainment for all ages, in an atmosphere of popular celebration that attracts visitors from across the Iblean area and the nearby towns in the provinces of Ragusa and Syracuse.

Ispica, between Baroque and tradition

Rebuilt after the devastating earthquake of 1693, Ispica retains a fascinating historic center, divided between the 18th-century grid layout and the irregular streets of medieval origin. Participating in the festival is the perfect opportunity to discover this city of the Val di Noto, a land of tuna, carob, and extra virgin olive oil, and to immerse yourself in the authenticity of the most genuine Sicily.