Taormina
Taormina celebrates its Patron Saint, San Pancrazio (St Pancras) martyr and first bishop of the city on 9th July every year with a procession in his honour, in which a statue of St Peter is also carried around the town.
Taormina hosts a number of cultural events during the year, including:
Taormina Film Festival
Taormina Film Festival, Italy’s most important summertime cinema event. The festival, which takes place in June, is a showcase for important film premieres from Hollywood and the rest of the world.
Taormina Jazz Festival
Taormina Jazz Festival, Sicilian jazz event held at the beginning of August.
Taormina Arte
Taormina Arte, held in September in the Theatre, in which a series of shows and other great cultural events are staged.
Taormina Carnival
Taormina Carnival combines fun-filled games and dancing in the square, with lively performances by musical groups. The procession of floats, which ends with the awarding of a prize for the best one, should not be missed.
In Tortorici, the Feast of the Patron Saint Sebastian is celebrated on 20th January with the traditional "Processione dell'Alloro", along the streets of the town with tasting of local food products.
In Galati Mamertino, from 23rd to 26th August they celebrate the “Feast of the Three Saints” in honour of San Rocco, of the Santissimo Crocifisso and of the protector San Giacomo. A huge popular festival with typical dishes and craft products.
In Rodi Milici, on the Sunday of Carnival and Mardi-Gras they hold the “Mesi dell’anno”. Part of Sicily’s ancient Carnival tradition, this event is a centuries-old carnival representation, which presents in rural dialect a kind of personification of the twelve months of the year, in a satirical humorous style.
In November in Castell'Umberto, they hold the Palio di San Martino, a wine and food event that seeks also to promote the Nebrodi region. At this event you can try a range of local products, while watching a race in which wine barrels are rolled along the street.