San Filippo d'Agira Festival

An ancient devotion in the heart of the Peloritani

The San Filippo d'Agira Festival is one of the most significant religious and popular events in Mongiuffi Melia, a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Messina, Sicily, tucked away in the Peloritani Mountains not far from Taormina. The small village, comprising the two districts of Mongiuffi and Melia, has for centuries guarded a deep devotion to Saint Philip of Agira, a monk and missionary venerated throughout Eastern Sicily as a powerful protector against evil.

The two annual celebrations

The cult of Saint Philip is renewed twice a year. On May 12th, the liturgical date, a religious service is held followed by a procession of the statue through the town streets. However, the most solemn and widely attended celebration takes place on the second Sunday of August, when the entire community and many returning emigrants gather to honor the patron saint in an atmosphere that blends the sacred and the secular.

The program and the Trasuta di San Fulippu

The August festivities kick off on Saturday evening with the transfer of the Saint's image from the Santuario della Madonna della Libera to the Mother Church of San Nicolò di Bari in the Melia district. The evening continues at the Urban Park with traditional free tastings of local products.

On Sunday morning, the solemn procession winds through the town streets; in the afternoon, the statue reaches the Mongilone, Volo, and Placi districts, before returning in the evening for the most anticipated and characteristic moment: the Trasuta di San Fulippu along the steep Via Grottonello, cheered by the faithful and accompanied by tastings of local specialties served along the village streets. The festival concludes with the return of the statue and the traditional distribution of carnations.

• When: May 12th (liturgical feast) and the second Sunday of August (main feast)
• Where: Mongiuffi Melia (ME), districts of Mongiuffi and Melia
• Heart of the festival: the Trasuta di San Fulippu on Via Grottonello
• Atmosphere: processions, brass band, free tastings of local products

Between faith and local identity

More than just a religious anniversary, the festival is an occasion for strong community cohesion in Mongiuffi Melia: the tastings of typical Peloritani products, the presence of the brass band, and the popular affection for the Saint make these days an authentic portrait of the most genuine Sicilian traditions, far from the major tourist circuits and deeply rooted in the village's identity.