Magico Medioevo

A journey through time in the heart of Sicily

Magico Medioevo is the grand historical re-enactment of San Michele di Ganzaria, a small town in the province of Catania, bordering the Enna area at the foot of the Erei Mountains. For two nights, usually in the second half of August, the town's historic center dims its modern lights to glow with the flicker of torches and braziers: decorated streets, residents in period costumes, taverns, workshops, and encampments bring the village back to the atmosphere of the 16th century.

The origins: 1534 and the meeting with Albanian refugees

The event is deeply rooted in the town's own history. Magico Medioevo commemorates the founding of San Michele di Ganzaria in 1534 and the meeting between Baron Antonio Gravina and the Albanian refugees led by Nicola Bisurca and Antonio Figlia, who brought their own traditions and Arbëreshë culture to this corner of Sicily. The symbolic heart of the festival is the Historical Re-enactment of the Founding Chapters, staged in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II.

Processions, flag-wavers, and tournaments

The program unfolds along the streets of the center with a packed calendar of events. Recurring highlights include:

• Historical Procession in costume along Via Umberto I and the village streets;
• Processions with flag-wavers and drummers;
• Archery and crossbow challenges and medieval games;
• Fire shows in the squares (previously featuring the Compagnia Magma);
• Jesters and jugglers, recitations, and theatrical moments;
• Traditional Arbëreshë dances performed by the Fluturo Shqipe group.

Market, workshops, and taverns

The streets come alive with a historical and artisan market featuring musical instruments, jewelry, and medicinal herbs, alongside the Armorer's Workshop, the Bank of the Tarì, and taverns where you can taste period drinks like hippocras and mead. Fortune tellers and palm readers also complete the scenery of a village that magically returns to the past.

An identity-defining event for the village

More than just a summer festival, Magico Medioevo is an identity-defining appointment that binds the entire community of San Michele di Ganzaria to its Sicilian and Arbëreshë roots. The attention to costumes, the staging of the historic center, and the involvement of historical groups and associations make this one of the most heartfelt re-enactments in this corner of the province of Catania.