One of the most important feasts in Agrigento is that of San Calogero, the “Black Saint”, a Byzantine hermit who lived during the 7th and 8th centuries AD. In fact, the feast is celebrated throughout the country between June and September, and local people honour the saint with special votive bread called panuzzi and prummisioni, representing the particular body part of the devotee that has been cured by the Saint. In Agrigento this festivity is celebrated on the first or second Sunday of July.
In Sciacca the feast dedicated to the Madonna del Soccorso (Our Lady of Help) is celebrated on 2nd February and 15th August. During the celebrations, an image of the Madonna is carried through the town by barefoot fishermen, recalling the miraculous event in 1626, when Sciacca was saved from the Plague. Another important feast is “La Sceusa” or Ascension, which takes place on the last Sunday of May. This festivity has rural origins: it is said that on that day farmers used to burn dry branches and old unwanted items. On the same day, they adorn their animals with flowers and coloured bows and parade them around the city. In July, the feast of St. Peter, the patron saint of fishermen takes place in the sea near the port. The statue of St. Peter is carried in a procession of boats, while the harbour becomes a lively venue for stalls, sweets, fish tasting, events and traditional games and competitions.
