The most important religious festival in Agrigento is dedicated to San Calogero, patron saint of the city. This wonderful festival lasts eight days mixing mysticism, ancient traditions, legends and deep Christian faith.
The celebrations begin on the Friday before the first Sunday of July with the welcoming of the faithful pilgrims to the Sanctuary, where the Octave is preached. After this solemn moment, the extraordinary lighting of the city is inaugurated and the sound of characteristic drums announces the beginning of the Feast. Additionally, the streets of the city are filled with stalls where typical local products can be tasted.
On Sunday, the Feast begins in the early hours of the morning with the Alborata, the traditional shooting of firecrackers and the Fair. At 9:00 AM, the religious celebrations begin and the Saint is carried through the streets of the city by devotees on their shoulders on the Vara. Around 6:00 PM, the Saint is placed on the triumphal chariot and at 8:30 PM, the procession begins which ends in Viale della Vittoria, after the fireworks show.
The story of the Patron Saint tells that the monk Calogero, who came to Sicily to spread the Christian faith, during a long period of pestilence went around asking for bread to give to the poor. Due to fear of the plague, people threw bread out of the windows as the monk passed through the streets of the city to prevent Calogero from getting too close to their homes.
Nowadays, to testify to the deep faith towards Saint linked to ancient traditions, devotees face the journey barefoot from their homes to the Sanctuary; if they are accompanied by children, they must wear white “robes.”