11 ANTHROPOLOGICAL ITINERARY

Beside the Sicily renowned for the cultures of the peoples that successively dominated it, as evidenced by the remains of the ruling class that have been preserved, there is also another Sicily ready to reveal its own cultural richness. This is the Sicily of the common people and peasants ("contadini"), a world that is often known only by way of the brilliant colors of its folklore on special occasions. Behind these colors there exist, however, the shades of another reality, deeper and more complex, rich in art, culture and a great religious spirit, where devotion and superstition quite often mix, giving rise to one of the best-known manifestations of the world of the common people: religious tradition. An irreplaceable contribution to the knowledge of the peasant civilization of the Hyblaeans was made by Antonino Uccello, with his scholarly work and collection of ethnographic material, unique in its kind, which led to the creation of his House-Museum, opened to the public on 27 September 1971 at Palazzolo Acreide. At Buscemi, ten kilometers from Palazzolo, in 1987 a group of young people created an itinerary ethno-anthropological, "The workplaces of the Hyblaean peasant civilization," including the "casa ro massaru" or farm manager's house, "casa ro iurnataru" or day-laborer's house, olive press, wine vat, and blacksmith shop. Guided tours may be booked by telephone. (Tel. 0931/878273 office hours, 881235 meal times.)
 

FEASTS AND CULTURAL TRADITIONS

SIRACUSA

Feast of Santa Lucia patrona. Celebrated December 13th and the first Sunday in May with the freeing of quails that fill the sky over the city.

PALAZZOLO ACREIDE

Feast of San Paolo patrono. Celebrated June 29th. The litter with the Saint is borne by the devotees on bare shoulders ("a spadda nura") followed by a great procession of worshippers including numerous women who, keeping their vow, make the journey barefoot ("u viagghiu scausu"). Feast of San Sebastiano on August 10th.

LENTINI

Feast of Sant'Alfio patrono, the 9th and 10th of May, in which the heart of the Saint, contained in a reliquary, is borne in a "holy procession," "u giru santu"; this and the presence of the barefoot penitents ("nuri") characterize the popular tradition of the feast.

MELILLI

Feast of San Sebastiano on May 4th. The cult goes back to 1414. During the night between May 3rd and 4th numerous barefoot pilgrims from all the towns in the province flock to the church of San Sebastiano, which opens its doors at 4 a.m.

NOTO

Feast of San Corrado Confalonieri, the last Sunday in August.
 

EASTER FESTIVALS

SORTINO

A striking procession during the night of Good Friday, at 4 in the morning, l illuminated by large bonfires along the route.

FERLA

On Holy Saturday at 8 p.m. the procession of Our Lady of Sorrows, at B.30 p.m. the coming out of Christ Resurrected: the crowd illuminates with torches the race with the holy effigy from the beginning of the main avenue as far as the market place. Sunday at noon the encounter ("u scontru") with Christ Resurrected.

CANICATTINI

Good Friday. Procession of the Ecce Homo with the participation of barefoot penitents.

AVOLA

Good Friday: celebration in the Chiesa Madre of the rite of the "Seven Words" and procession with the dead Christ followed by six wooden statues. Easter Sunday: "La Pace" (Peace), encounter between the Madonna and Christ Resurrected that is repeated in the five squares delimiting the hexagonal plan of the town.