FESTIVALS AND FOLKLORE
From historical re-enactments close to the authentic symbols of Sicilian culture, to religious festivals, such as the one linked to the cult of the Patriarch San Giuseppe , patron saint of the poor, introduced in the second half of the 1600s by Prince Branciforti. Bagheria still retains all the flavor of the most authentic traditions to be told and handed down to the new generations.
Scroll to discover the main traditions of Bagheria.
Sfincione Fest in Bagheria
Sfincione Fest is that event dedicated to sfincione now so acclaimed and awaited by Bagheria citizens and all those visitors from all over the world, as well as culinary stars and chefs to experience days of show cooking, tastings, entertainment and shows in the city of Guttuso and Tornatore, of noble villas and starred restaurants, on the outskirts of Palermo, to taste the “pizza of the Sicilians.”
Sicilian street food calls and tourists answer! This is the key to understanding that triggered the presentation of Bagheria’s Sfincione Fest in the spaces of the Borsa del Turismo Extralberghiero (BTE), taking place every year in prestigious locations.
Sfincione Fest also represents a springboard for young bakers on the national level.
Piana d’Oro is the association that is responsible for organizing the eventwith great enthusiasm and commitment with the contribution of the Sicilian Region’sDepartment of Agriculture of Rural Development and Mediterranean Fisheries and the patronage of the City of Bagheria.
During the event, bakers from all over Sicily present sfincione in all its variations, from the white one to the traditional red one to all the other culinary specialties, which make it unique in each place on the island.
The “Sfincione Bianco” of Bagheria represents the symbol of territorial excellence, as well as an expression of the history, culture, and traditions of our beautiful town. As a gastronomic ambassador of the “City of Villas and Taste,” in 2019 the white sfincione brings together bakers in the first Slow Food community.
Feast of St. Joseph
Celebrated every year, as usual, the festival takes place in the first days of August in honor of the patron saint of Bagheria, San Giuseppe. The event includes religious celebrations with masses and processions, but also gives space to traditional shows such as the historic parade of Sicilian carts.
Feast of Maria SS Addolorata
Great celebration in honor of the patron saint of Aspra, the seaside village of Bagheria.
The event is characterized by three crucial moments: the procession to the sea, during which the simulacrum is taken from the church and carried towards the beach, then the Madonna is carried on a small boat followed by numerous others for the procession through the streets of the township and finally the fireworks.
Sicilian cart
The “Bottega Ducato”, located in front of Villa Cattolica, is a place where the art of the Sicilian cart is celebrated with skill and passion. It was grandfather Michele, in 1985, who opened the first shop. Today the new generation Michele even collaborates with Dolce and Gabbana. The carters have been guardians of an extraordinary tradition in Sicily. Once, in fact, the cart was the only means of transport. The carters, therefore, bought the products in the coastal strip and transferred them to the more inland areas of Sicily.
The function of the cart was yes, practical, but also a “status symbol”. It was also a “marketing” tool, because a lavishly decorated cart made the carter and his goods immediately recognizable. At the end of the 1950s this instrument lost its original function and acquired new life in the 1970s, thanks to the exhibition “Shapes and Color of the Sicilian cart, the Ducato brothers”. The exhibition acts as a watershed: the cart, from a work tool, becomes a collector’s item.
Even today, explains Michele Ducato, the decorations are drawn in pencil and are never the same, the images, on the other hand, are traced. Once the carter, if he had a slightly more cultured taste, chose a more important or particular subject, beyond the stories of the Paladins of France or the tradition of the epic-chivalric theme.
So from the 1800s to today, the Sicilian cart goes from an instrument to an art form aiming to become a UNESCO heritage site.
