U Signuruzzu a Cavaddu — Holy Week in Caccamo

A tradition of Byzantine origin

«U Signuruzzu a Cavaddu» is considered the oldest religious celebration in the municipality of Caccamo, located in the heart of the Metropolitan City of Palermo, Sicily. Its roots lie in the Byzantine presence and the Eastern spirituality of the region: once celebrated on Holy Wednesday, it is now the centerpiece of Palm Sunday. The event reenacts Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and marks the solemn opening of the Caccamo Holy Week.

The Palm Sunday procession

As the bells ring, the procession forms in the heart of the medieval village. A child dressed as a «russuliddu», in red clerical robes, represents Christ and rides a donkey decorated with flowers and colorful drapes. Preceded and followed by twelve youths impersonating the apostles, who carry long palm branches woven into arches, other children wave olive branches and small bells.

• The procession is accompanied by the Caccamo City Band, drummers, and flag-wavers.
• The parade visits the town's main churches — including the Church of the Capuchins, San Domenico, and the SS. Annunziata — before concluding in the spectacular Piazza Duomo.
• In front of the Mother Church, dedicated to Saint George the Martyr, the blessing of the palms and the celebration of Holy Mass take place.

Holy Week and Good Friday

Palm Sunday opens a week full of events that reaches its peak on Good Friday, with the Sacred Representation of the Passion of Christ: actors in historical costumes bring a parade to life that starts from the Duomo area and winds through the medieval village, accompanying the final stations of the Via Crucis. The day concludes with the moving procession of the Dead Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows through the town streets.

The village of Caccamo

The setting is one of Italy's most beautiful villages: the Duomo dedicated to Saint George the Martyr, featuring Flemish works and 15th-century paintings, the Church of San Benedetto, the Church of San Domenico, and the imposing Medieval Castle that overlooks the San Leonardo river valley. Religious tradition intertwines with the flavors of the Sicilian Easter: panacèna (sweet bread with fennel seeds), pasqualora sausage, and pasta ca frittedda with spring vegetables.

Why attend

Ranked among the most evocative Palm Sunday events in Sicily, the Caccamo festival combines popular devotion, folklore, and historical reenactment in an authentic, communal atmosphere far from mass tourism. It is an ideal experience for those wishing to discover the Sicilian Holy Week in its most genuine form.