San Filippo Siriaco Festival

A festival that speaks to the soul of Calatabiano

In the heart of the Ionian coast of Sicily, at the foot of Mount Etna and just a few kilometres from the sea of Taormina, the small town of Calatabiano (province of Catania) preserves one of the most intense patronal festivals on the island. The San Filippo Siriaco Festival is celebrated every year in May and has roots in a tradition documented continuously since 1766: for the inhabitants, who affectionately call their patron saint "San Fulippu", it is much more than a religious recurrence; it is an act of belonging that brings entire families and emigrants scattered across the world back to the village.

Who was San Filippo Siriaco

According to tradition, Saint Philip was born in Syria in the 1st century AD and was sent to Sicily to evangelize the region. Venerated as a miracle worker and exorcist, legend has it that he was able to defeat the devil using only a single thread from his beard: for this reason, he is depicted with a dark face. He is the co-patron and protector of Calatabiano, and his statue is kept all year round in the Church of the Santissimo Crocifisso, on Monte Castello.

The Calata: the race of the vara from the castle

The most spectacular moment is "A Calata di San Fulippu", which traditionally takes place on the third Saturday of May. At dawn, the women decorate the float with flowers; in the afternoon, a series of cannon shots, fired every quarter of an hour from Monte Castello, announces the preparations. Preceded by a historical pageant with costumed figures evoking the court of the Cruyllas family, the ancient feudal lords of the village, the "Calata" is the dizzying and daring descent of the heavy float along the narrow stone path that leads from the Arab-Norman medieval castle down to the Mother Church, carried at a run by the devotees across steps and rocks.

The Acchianata and the "misure"

The festivities conclude with "A Cchianata", the ascent of the statue back to the small church on Monte Castello, run in just a few minutes along the steepest climb. The bearers wear a red handkerchief and three braided threads in red, yellow, and green, the so-called "misure", which represent the hairs of the beard with which the Saint, according to legend, bound the devil. Aspiring to a place under the vara during the Calata requires participation for several consecutive years: a commitment passed down from father to son.

Folklore, faith, and spectacle

Alongside the sacred rites, the program includes Eucharistic celebrations, the procession of the reliquary through the streets of the town, musical performances, entertainment, and a grand final fireworks display. It is the perfect opportunity to discover Calatabiano, its panoramic castle, and the authentic hospitality of inland Sicily, far from mass tourism circuits.