Wheat Festival — 'A Pisatura

The festival celebrating the cereal soul of Raddusa

In Raddusa, a town in the hinterland of the Province of Catania, wheat is more than just an agricultural product: it is an identity. It is no coincidence that the town is known throughout Sicily as the "City of Wheat." This deep-rooted bond gave birth to the Wheat Festival — 'A Pisatura, an event that, every year during the second week of September, brings back the gestures, sounds, and flavors of the peasant civilization that shaped this land.

The re-enactment of the threshing

The heart of the festival is the historical re-enactment of the ancient threshing on the threshing floor, the process once used to separate the grain from the ear. On the traditional threshing floor, a pair of mules or horses guided by experienced farmers move in circles, trampling the sheaves, while propitiatory songs and dances resonate in that blend of the sacred and the profane typical of Sicilian rural festivals. This is the so-called giostra dei cavalli (horse carousel), an ancient practice that the public can experience as if stepping into a scene of 1950s rural life.

Parades, folklore, and tradition

Over the three days, the village comes alive with a program rich in popular events:

• Parades of finely decorated Sicilian carts and farmers in traditional costumes
• Performances by folk groups and marching bands moving through the town center
• The re-enactment of the harvest, "u metiri", using ancient scythes
• The procession of the carriage of the Marquis of Raddusa
• The setting up of the Altar of Saint Joseph, a symbol of devotion and the abundance of wheat

The flavors of wheat

The festival is also a journey through taste: visitors can sample typical local delicacies born from wheat processing, such as cuccìa, pasta di San Giuseppe, and pane cunzatu, dishes passed down through generations. To complete the experience, the Wheat Museum, the municipal art gallery, and exhibitions dedicated to the mining and folkloric heritage of the territory are open to the public.

An event for regional promotion

Alongside its spectacular and folkloric dimension, the Wheat Festival hosts annual conferences on the Sicilian cereal sector, durum wheat prices, and the future of the Common Agricultural Policy, with the participation of institutional representatives and agricultural organizations. Promoted by the Municipality of Raddusa together with the Pro Loco and supported by local cereal industry stakeholders, the event aims to promote high-quality agricultural products and preserve the region's cultural heritage.