Raffo Salt Festival

A festival born around salt

The Raffo Salt Festival takes place in the village of the same name within the municipality of Petralia Soprana, in the province of Palermo, in the heart of the Madonie Park. Raffo lies at the springs of the Salso River, just a stone's throw from the large rock salt mine managed by Italkali: it is this deep bond with salt that gives the event its name and soul. The Petralia area holds one of the richest rock salt deposits in Europe, with a purity exceeding 99.4% sodium chloride and over seventy kilometers of underground tunnels.

The festival program

The festival is concentrated over a weekend in late August and brings the village center to life starting in the late afternoon. The most anticipated moment is the free distribution of rock salt, provided by Italkali, which attracts curious visitors every year. Alongside this ritual, there are shows for children, street performers, live music with ballroom orchestras, accordion players, and local bands, as well as street food along the village streets.

• Tastings of local products: chickpeas, sausage, and traditional Madonie desserts
• Free distribution of rock salt by Italkali
• Children's shows, giant bubbles, clowns, and entertainment
• Live music and evening entertainment
• Street food and local cuisine throughout the village

Memory and rural identity

The Salt Festival is not just a celebration of taste. Each edition hosts the exhibition dedicated to Epifanio Li Puma, a trade unionist from Raffo killed by the mafia on March 2, 1948, and a journey through the peasant struggles that tells the social history of these lands. The ceremony honoring the salt, featuring participants dressed as miners, recalls the economic and cultural value that salt has held for the community.

A village to discover

Visiting the festival is also an opportunity to discover Petralia Soprana, recognized as one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy, and the entire Madonie area. The intimate atmosphere of the village of Raffo, immersed in the mountain landscape of inland Sicily, makes this event an authentic experience deeply rooted in local popular tradition.