Piana degli Albanesi Foundation Festival

A festival celebrating Arbëreshë identity

The Piana degli Albanesi Foundation Festival commemorates the town's founding on August 30, 1488, when Albanian refugees fleeing the Ottoman advance found sanctuary in the mountains behind Palermo, Sicily. For over five centuries, the community has preserved its language, Greek-Byzantine rite, costumes, and Arbëreshë traditions, making Piana degli Albanesi the most important center of this culture in Italy today.

Organized by the municipal administration, the festival takes place over several days around August 30, transforming the town into an open-air narrative where history meets contemporary art, music, and gastronomy.

The Sheshi district and street art

The heart of the event is the historic Sheshi district, revitalized over the years through the Bashkë Urban Art project. Italian and international artists have created murals and street art installations, turning the neighborhood into a true open-air museum. During the festival, visitors can enjoy guided tours of the district, performances, itinerant storytelling shows, and workshops for children (BashkëLab Junior).

Skanderbeg, symbol of the community

A central figure of the celebrations is George Castriot Skanderbeg (1405–1468), the Albanian national hero and symbol of the Arbëreshë communities. A bronze statue over three meters tall, donated by the Swiss association Hora e Skanderbeut, stands in the square named after him. The celebrations attract delegations and visitors from Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Switzerland, and the Arbëreshë diaspora communities.

Culture, music, and gastronomy

The program blends cultural depth with popular festivities: exhibitions dedicated to Arbëreshë identity and the papàs (Greek-Byzantine rite priests), museum openings, historical conferences, musical performances, open-air cinema, and culinary trails featuring local specialties. Among the most famous delicacies are the renowned cannoli of Piana degli Albanesi, famous throughout Sicily.

An experience to live

The Foundation Festival is more than just a historical commemoration; it is an opportunity for both the local community and visitors to immerse themselves in a unique culture within the Sicilian and Italian landscape, defined by language, rituals, songs, and costumes passed down through generations. A journey into the Arbëreshë memory in the heart of the province of Palermo.