The origins of the feast honouring Calamonaci’s patron saint, San Vincenzo Ferreri, date back to the town’s founding.
The feast consists of two key phases:
The first, purely religious, is the solemn procession of the Saint on Sunday evening. The statue is adorned in festive vestments, covered with the precious ex-votos offered over the years by the faithful in gratitude for received graces. It follows the traditional route known as the giru di li santi, drawing profound participation from the local community, which holds a deep devotion for the Dominican saint.
The second part, religious yet prominently folkloric, is the Rigattiate, held in honour of Saint John the Baptist and Saint Michael the Archangel. Taking place on Friday evening and concluding late on Sunday night, these are competitive running processions during which the two local confraternities—the Sangiuvannara and the Sammichilara—race their saints’ elaborately decorated vare (platforms) along Corso Garibaldi, starting from the church steps. Each run is accompanied by continuous performances of two marching bands — each dedicated to one saint — and constant bursts of fireworks and firecrackers, all contributing to an electrifying atmosphere of fervour and encouragement from the faithful.
Over time, the rivalry between these confraternities has evolved into a competition over who can honour their saint most grandly, especially through the final fireworks display. This tradition, which began in the early 1960s, has since grown into a national-level fireworks competition, attracting the best pyrotechnicians from across Italy.
Beyond the intense devotion to the patron saint, which remains a pillar of Calamonaci’s social life year-round, the cultural significance of this feast lies in the town’s unique status as the symbolic heart of the “Land of the Rigattiate”.
In Calamonaci, the Rigattiate are undoubtedly tied to the confraternities’ longstanding presence and roles. Documented since the early 17th century, these confraternities not only performed religious functions but also offered social support. Two in particular—the Confraternity of the Carmine (under Saint Michael’s protection) and the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament (under Saint John the Baptist)—soon became dominant. The Rigattiate grew out of their rivalry, which initially manifested as a devotional contest but soon evolved into a race of saints.
Though the exact development of this ritual is uncertain, the festival’s structure and its timing have made Calamonaci a key reference point not only locally but also regionally. Participation, even by outsiders, has always exceeded local boundaries.
Calamonaci is recognized both as the land of San Vincenzo Ferreri’s devotion—perhaps more so than elsewhere in Sicily—and as “the town of the Rigattiate,” where saints run. The rivalry between the confraternities, especially expressed through fireworks displays, has become a centrepiece of the national pyrotechnic calendar. For a fireworks master, being chosen to perform in Calamonaci’s patronal feast is a prestigious honour. Overall, Calamonaci exemplifies a broader Sicilian phenomenon: the intertwining of religious devotion with social and artistic rivalry during patronal feasts.

 

This element has been included in the Register of Intangible Heritage of local interest of the Municipality of Calamonaci, as part of Intervention 6 “Activation of the Observatory on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Territory through the application of the REIL methodology – Register of Intangible Heritage of Local Interest”, within the “ Metasicani effetto farfalla” project, funded by the NRRP (National Recovery and Resilience Plan), Mission: Digitalisation, innovation, competitiveness, culture and tourism, Component: Tourism and culture 4.0, Investment 2.1 “Attractiveness of villages.” CUP: J79I22000180006.