Saint Joseph Festival and the Squartucciati

The 2025 edition of the Saint Joseph Festival in Poggioreale was celebrated around March 19th, renewing the rites that have accompanied this event in the Belice Valley for centuries. Devotees set up votive altars and tavulate, community banquets prepared with great abundance to be shared with the poor, according to a practice rooted in the 18th century.

In 2025, the protagonist was once again the squartucciato, an artisanal bread hand-carved and filled with dried figs, decorated with hearts, crosses, and fish visible through the artistic incisions in the pastry. The tradition, shared with neighboring Salaparuta, was described by the local press as one of the most fascinating symbols of Sicilian culture linked to Saint Joseph.