San Diego Festival

San Diego, the patron saint of Canicattì

The San Diego Festival is the most deeply felt religious and popular event in Canicattì, a major town in the province of Agrigento, in the heart of Sicily. San Diego of Alcalá, a Spanish Franciscan friar who lived in the 15th century and was canonized by Pope Sixtus V in 1588, has been the city's protector for centuries. Although his liturgical feast falls on November 13, in Canicattì the saint is celebrated according to an ancient tradition on the last Sunday of August, when in the past, at the end of agricultural work, large livestock and produce fairs were held to thank the patron for the harvest.

A devotion born from gratitude

The cult of San Diego has been rooted in Canicattì since at least the late 16th century, introduced by the friars of the Spirito Santo convent. Devotion strengthened after the terrible 1693 earthquake that devastated south-eastern Sicily: according to tradition, the city emerged unscathed and attributed its salvation to the saint's intercession. Over the centuries, the people of Canicattì have carried the statue in procession to invoke protection from plagues, famines, wars, and earthquakes.

The Church of San Diego

The heart of the festivities is the Church of San Diego, once dedicated to Saint Sebastian and rebuilt between 1770 and 1782. The facade features a statue of the saint depicted with a cross and bread, symbols of his charity towards the poor. The processions that wind through the historic center of Canicattì start from here.

The free fair and the festival of the past

The festival has its roots in the San Diego free fair, established by Duke Giacomo II in 1656: a commercial fair that lasted nine days, exempt from duties, attracting merchants and farmers from the entire area. In past decades, the celebrations included illuminated triumphal floats, brass band concerts, games, horse races along Viale Regina Margherita, and fireworks; today the festival has a more intimate tone but remains deeply tied to the community's identity.

Scuru e fuddra: a festival of flavors

In recent years, the program has been enriched by the Scuru e fuddra festival, a food and wine event held on the Friday evening before the feast along Via Cesare Battisti. Amidst stalls, typical Sicilian products, and folk music, the festival restores the convivial atmosphere of the ancient agricultural fairs to the celebration, accompanying the devotional dimension with the taste of the rural traditions of the Agrigento territory.