May Festivals and May Fair (Feast of Saint Angelo the Martyr)

A patronal feast spanning over five centuries

The May Festivals are the heart of community life in Licata, a coastal town in the province of Agrigento, Sicily. They celebrate Saint Angelo the Martyr, a Carmelite friar who, according to tradition, was killed in Licata on May 5, 1220, in the church of the Holy Apostles Philip and James. It was a provincial Chapter of the Carmelites in 1457 that set the annual celebration for May 5, coinciding with the ancient May Fair: since then, the people of Licata have never ceased to honor their patron saint.

The procession and the races of the urn

The most anticipated moment is the procession of the silver urn containing the Saint's relics. On the evening of May 5, the ark is carried on shoulders, in turns, by the various city guilds in their traditional costumes. The most thrilling spectacle is the races: dozens of barefoot sailors, dressed in white and tied together, run for several hundred meters carrying the heavy float while shouting "Viva Sant'Angelo," guided by helmsmen and preceded by barefoot boys carrying torches.

The wooden towers of the guilds and the decorated mules

From the church of Saint Angelo emerge the five candles placed on five-meter-high wooden towers: they are the tribute of the guilds of landowners, farmers, sailors, agricultural workers, and shepherds. On the morning of May 5, the characteristic decorated mules parade through the city streets—animals decked out in festive, richly embroidered drapes reminiscent of the ancient Spanish rule, accompanied by horses and Sicilian carts.

The May Fair and Thanksgiving Day

Parallel to the religious celebrations, the May Fair takes place, with stalls occupying the city's main thoroughfares until May 6, animated by musical performances and fireworks. May 6 is the day of thanksgiving: at the harbor, the traditional games of the greasy pole (palio antinna) and the sea palio are held, bringing a joyful close to one of the most iconic festivals of Southern Sicily.

A gathering for the entire community

The May Festivals deeply involve both citizens and visitors in a celebration that is both moving and joyful, organized by the Municipality of Licata in collaboration with the Pro Loco and the confraternities. For Licata's emigrants, there is also a second feast on the Sunday following Ferragosto, but it is the May celebration that truly captures the spirit of the city's devotion.