San Placido 'u picciddu' Festival

The 2025 edition of the San Placido 'u picciddu' Festival in Castel di Lucio, in the Messina area, reached its peak on Saturday, October 5, 2025. Local reports described a day of intense popular participation, with thousands of faithful and the presence of civil, military, and religious authorities.

The solemn procession carried the statues of San Placido and his sister Santa Flavia from the Mother Church to the church of Santa Lucia and back; the statue of Santa Flavia, according to tradition, was carried on shoulders exclusively by women. In the preceding days, the usual rites took place, from the Calata a cira to the evocative Acchianata di San Plà. The festival closed with the three traditional Ballatedde of San Placido, which continued until late at night through the streets of the historic center, confirming the strong religious and folkloric identity of the Municipality of Castel di Lucio, in Sicily.