2472 ITALY (Sicily) - The feast of Santa Rosalia in Palermo

Saint Rosalia (1130-1166), also called La Santuzza (The Little Saint), and in local dialect as Rusalia, is the patron saint of Palermo, and hers celebration, called the festino, is still held each year on July 15, and is a major social and religious event in the city. According to the legend, four centuries after her death, in 1624, Saint Rosalia appeared to a hunter during a great plague in order to make honor to her remains. Miraculously such relics, passing through the streets of Palermo, healed the people from the disease who followed in procession.

1499, 2046 ITALY (Sicily) - Carretto siciliano

1499 A typical carretto siciliano

Posted on 28.03.2015, 18.11.2015
The Sicilian cart (or carretto siciliano in Italian and carrettu sicilianu in Sicilian) is an ornate, colorful style of horse or donkey-drawn cart native to the island of Sicily. Horses were mostly used in the city and flat plains, while donkeys or mules were more often used in rough terrain for hauling heavy loads. The cart has two wheels and is primarily handmade out of wood with iron metal components. There are two types of carts: Carretto del Lavoro (cart for work), used for hauling miscellaneous, and Carretto de Gara, used for festive occasions. They were introduced to the island by the ancient Greeks, and reached the height of their popularity in the 1920s. The Museo del Carretto Siciliano, in Terrasini, in the province of Palermo, is a museum dedicated to the carts.

2046 A carretto siciliano in Taormina

The crews that built carretti included woodcarvers, metal workers, and painters. The woodcarvers carved panels that were often historic reliefs. The metal workers worked the iron, in a 'ferro battuto' style, which included highly decorated metal undercarriages. Each province of Sicily has their own style. The carretti made in the province of Palermo have more of a square box design, those made in Catania are made with more elaborate 'keys', and the carts made in Agrigento have their own distinctive style. Carts are known for being covered with scenes from Sicilian history and folklore as well as intricate geometrical designs. These scenes also served the purpose of conveying historical information to those who were illiterate. The colors of Sicily's flag, yellow and red, feature prominently on the carts.

1973 ITALY (Sicily) - La Vucciria

One of the legacies of Palermo’s past as a commercial center and port that continues to manifest itself in the present day is the Palermo market culture. In particular, Palermo’s muslim history has made an imprint on the bazaars and markets of the town. Bustling, crowded, and full of all kinds of treasures, a day at the markets is a unique way to connect with the real lifestyle of the Palermo locals. And the most famous Palermo market is the Vucciria market.

1737 ITALY (Sicily) - Opera dei Pupi, Sicilian puppet theatre (UNESCO ICH)

The Opera dei Pupi is a marionette theatrical representation of Frankish romantic poems such as the Song of Roland or Orlando furioso that is one of the characteristic cultural traditions of Sicily. The sides of donkey carts are decorated with intricate, painted scenes; these same tales are enacted in traditional puppet theaters featuring hand-made marionettes of wood. The opera of the puppets and the Sicilian tradition of cantastorî (singers of tales) are rooted in the Provençal troubadour tradition in Sicily during the reign of  Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, in the first half of the 13th century.