Saint Erasmus Patronal Feast

A festival that tells the story of Capaci

The Saint Erasmus Patronal Feast is the event that marks the life of Capaci every year, a town in the Metropolitan City of Palermo overlooking the Gulf of Carini. Dedicated to the town's patron saint, the festival marks the arrival of the summer season and brings the entire community together around its deepest identity. It is a celebration that combines sacred and popular elements, engaging Capaci residents of all generations and numerous visitors from neighboring towns.

The origins of the cult

The cult of Saint Erasmus, bishop and martyr of Antioch, was likely introduced to Capaci by local fishermen at the beginning of the 16th century, thanks to contacts with ports in Campania where devotion to the saint was already widespread. In 1583, the noble Beccadelli-Bologna family commissioned the sculptor Gagini to create the splendid wooden statue of the saint, which still stands in the right nave of the Mother Church today. In 1740, Count Ignazio Pilo e Calvello had the town's main church rebuilt and dedicated to Saint Erasmus, while a congregation dedicated to assisting the needy and organizing the festivities had already been established in the early 17th century.

Rites and traditions

The festival consists of several moments, some religious and others more folkloric. Among the most cherished events:

• The drum parade (tamburinata): in the morning, the community is awakened by the sound of drummers walking through the town streets, announcing the start of the festival.
• Sicilian carts: in the late afternoon, the characteristic painted carts parade through the streets, pulled by richly caparisoned horses and led by coachmen wearing traditional scarves.
• The procession: the wooden statue of Saint Erasmus is solemnly carried in procession through the streets of Capaci, accompanied by a marching band and the choral participation of the faithful.
• The solemn mass in the Mother Church, the religious heart of the festival.

A recognized heritage

The Saint Erasmus Feast of Capaci is inscribed in the REIS, the Registry of Intangible Heritage of Sicily (Book of Celebrations), managed by the Sicilian Region: a recognition of its identity value and the centuries-old bond between the Capaci community and its patron saint. For those visiting the province of Palermo, it is an opportunity to discover an authentic popular tradition, far from the main tourist circuits.