The Cavalcata di San Giuseppe takes place on a Saturday in March, close to St. Joseph's Day on March 19. The town of Scicli sets the day each year and announces it in February or early March: it was March 18 in 2023, March 22 in 2025 and March 14 in 2026. The 2027 day has not been set yet.
Harnesses made of flowers
On a frame once made of palm branches and now mostly of jute cloth, the harness makers work in thousands of violacciocca flowers, called bàlucu in Scicli, forming small pictures of the Holy Family and religious symbols. The work is done in the dammusi, the ground-floor rooms of the houses, and takes a long time. The groups compete for the town's prize.
The procession through town
The horses gather near the main square, and the riders wear traditional farmers' costume. At the church of San Giuseppe a jury from outside the town judges each harness for originality and effect. Then the procession winds through town, led by the Holy Family. In 2023 and 2026 the Cavalcata started around 6 p.m.
Torches and pagghiara
Riders and townspeople carry torches made of bundled ampelodesmos grass, meant to light the way for the Holy Family. The gas lines under the streets no longer allow the huge bonfires of the past. Today smaller fires, the pagghiara, burn in several places and neighborhoods.
A feast on the region's register
The Cavalcata recalls the Holy Family's flight into Egypt. According to the town, the Sicilian Region has entered it in its register of intangible heritage. Salemi, in the west of the island, honors the same saint with altars made of bread.
Planning your stay
The Cavalcata is an evening event, so staying in or near Scicli saves a long drive afterward. There are vacation homes in Scicli itself and on the coast, for example in Pozzallo and Santa Croce Camerina, and more in Rosolini and Noto. Easter Sunday falls on March 28 in 2027: on a longer stay you can also see the Uomo Vivo in Scicli and the Madonna Vasa Vasa in nearby Modica. Scicli is also one of the towns where the TV series "Inspector Montalbano" was filmed.
