Our Lady of Mount Carmel Festival

A celebration of faith at the foot of Mount Etna

The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Festival is one of the most cherished religious events in Trecastagni, a picturesque village in the Province of Catania perched nearly 600 meters high on the slopes of Mount Etna, in Sicily. Every year, around July 16th—the liturgical solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel—the entire community gathers in Marian devotion, creating a celebration that weaves together liturgy, popular tradition, and spectacle.

The wooden statue and the Mother Church

At the heart of the festival is the venerated wooden statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, an 18th-century work housed within the Mother Church of San Nicola di Bari. This stunning building dates back to the 15th century and was rebuilt following the devastating 1693 earthquake that struck the Val di Noto region. The church, embellished with lava stone architectural elements typical of the Etna area, provides a solemn backdrop for the festival's rites.

The Solemn Quindicina and the festival days

The festival is preceded by a Solemn Quindicina, fifteen days of spiritual preparation consisting of celebrations and prayer. The feast day is announced from the early morning hours by the festive ringing of bells and the firing of traditional cannons, calling together both the faithful and visitors.

The procession and fireworks

The most anticipated moment is the evening procession: following the Solemn Holy Mass celebrated in the square in front of the Mother Church, the statue of the Madonna emerges from the side portal to be greeted by a spectacular fireworks display, a release of balloons, and a shower of colorful confetti. The statue is then carried in procession through the streets of the historic center, followed by a crowd of the faithful, accompanied by the recitation of the Holy Rosary and the reenactment of the Joyful Mysteries, making the pageant a evocative blend of the sacred and the popular.

Tradition and identity of the village

In Trecastagni, a town whose name traditionally recalls the three martyr brothers Alfio, Filadelfo, and Cirino, Marian devotion to the Madonna del Carmelo stands alongside other major festivals in the local calendar. The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Festival is a precious opportunity to discover the authentic atmosphere of the Etnean villages, characterized by sincere faith, traditional gastronomy, and Sicilian hospitality.