Rodì Milici Carnival — The Months of the Year (I Misi i ll'Annu)

A unique tradition in Sicily

The Rodì Milici Carnival, known as The Months of the Year (in dialect I Misi i ll'Annu), is one of the most original events in the Sicilian Carnival. In the small town of Rodì Milici, in the Province of Messina, at the foot of the Nebrodi mountains, the festival does not feature allegorical floats but a true itinerant theatrical performance, recited in an agro-pastoral dialect and passed down for over a century.

The history

The script for the performance was written in 1880 by the local poet Giuseppe Trifilò, known as "Peppi 'u pueta", inspired by a similar ritual found in the Catania area. The first performance took place in 1905, with Trifilò himself playing the role of the Wayfarer. Since then, the tradition has been passed down from generation to generation, eventually being inscribed in the Register of Intangible Heritage of Sicily (R.E.I.) as "I Misi i ll'Annu di Rodì Milici", in recognition of its cultural and identity value.

The Dispute of the Crown

The heart of the event is the Dispute of the Crown. Fifteen costumed characters—the Twelve Months, the King, the Poet, and the Wayfarer—engage in a poetic contest: each month approaches the sovereign with a proud tone, claiming the right to the crown and listing the benefits they bring. The Poet resolves the conflict, inviting everyone to a conciliatory dance, while the Wayfarer closes the scene by celebrating the King who has successfully maintained his power.

The arrival on horseback

The characters, dressed in colorful and symbolic costumes, once arrived in the squares on donkeys; today, they parade on caparisoned horses, adorned with drapes, colorful ribbons, and ornaments representing the month they embody. The scenic effect, hovering between the sacred and the profane, gives the town squares an atmosphere suspended in time.

When and where

The performance traditionally takes place during the early hours of Carnival Sunday and the following Shrove Tuesday, enlivening the squares and streets of the center of Rodì Milici. A precious opportunity to discover an authentic corner of rural Sicily and its most genuine popular culture.