SS. Crocifisso Festival of Castel Belice ('U Signuri di Bilici)

A rural festival in the heart of central Sicily

The SS. Crocifisso Festival of Castel Belice, known to everyone by its local name 'u Signuri di Bilici, is celebrated every May 3rd at the rural sanctuary standing on the hills of the former Castel Belice estate, at an altitude of approximately 490 meters. The sanctuary is located within the territory of Petralia Sottana, at the gateway to the Madonie mountains, yet it remains under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the parish of Marianopoli, in the province of Caltanissetta: a dual belonging that makes this festival a meeting point between the Nisseno and Palermitano areas.

The miraculous crucifix and its legend

At the center of the devotion is an ancient wooden crucifix believed to be miraculous. Popular tradition attributes its carving to a shepherd, Vanni Calabrisi, identified by scholars as Friar Innocenzo da Petralia (Giovanni Calabrese), a Franciscan friar and one of the most famous sculptors of the 17th-century Sicilian Baroque. The work, dated 1638, was reportedly donated to Duchess Maria Ferrandina Alvarez and publicly displayed for worship on May 3, 1645, the date from which the festival began. According to legend, a cave beneath the sanctuary marks the spot where the crucifix was carved.

The pilgrimage and rituals

On the day of the festival, which coincides with the liturgical feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross, thousands of pilgrims from Marianopoli and surrounding towns reach the sanctuary. Many make the pilgrimage on foot starting from the Mother Church of Marianopoli, with some covering the final stretch barefoot as a vow. Around the cross on the hill, the faithful tie red ribbons as a sign of devotion, while the interior of the chapel houses numerous ex-votos testifying to the graces received.

A living tradition

The day alternates between moments of intense popular religiosity and solemn celebrations: morning masses, the celebration presided over by the Bishop of Caltanissetta, the procession with the Major Rogations around the sanctuary, and the blessing of the fields, an ancient propitiatory rite of the farming world. In recent years, the festival has seen the participation of seminarians and numerous faithful, confirming it as one of the most deeply rooted devotional events in the region. Marianopoli also celebrates its patron saint, San Prospero, on the first Sunday of August, but it is 'u Signuri di Bilici that draws the wider community.