Castel di Lucio remembers its origins with Medievalia

Castel di Lucio, a member of the Authentic Villages of Italy network, hosts an evening devoted to traditional sweets and much more.

Beginning at 7:00 p.m., the event invites visitors to taste local confectionery specialities in a lively programme enriched by craft displays, music and comedy.

The promotion of traditional local products is particularly important to the community. Another major event is the Sagra du Cascavaddu, the annual caciocavallo cheese festival traditionally held on 17 August.

At 9:00 p.m., popular Catania comedian and storyteller Giuseppe Castiglia takes to the stage with his well-known jokes and cabaret performance.

Among Castel di Lucio’s community events with strong visitor appeal, the undisputed highlight is the Sagra du Cascavaddu, held every year on 17 August and now celebrating its 32nd edition.

The historic festival was created to introduce and promote Castel di Lucio’s signature product: caciocavallo cheese. The local area has always been closely connected with livestock farming and agriculture. By preserving traditional production techniques and using high-quality milk, local cheesemakers continue to produce excellent provola and caciocavallo cheeses.

This tradition finds its most distinctive artistic expression in the Murriti. Skilled cheesemakers shape fresh tuma curd into small figures—such as doves and horses—which were once children’s toys and are now sought-after examples of local food craftsmanship. They are a unique expression of a community that remains deeply connected to its roots.

During the festival, visitors can watch the various stages of milk processing and taste freshly made curd, tuma, ricotta and caciocavallo.

The programme also features the Engium Folk Group, performing traditional Sicilian songs and dances, followed by live music from the XXL Show Orchestra.

Images from a previous edition can be viewed below.

The Maria Messina Prize is a major cultural initiative promoted by Associazione Progetto Mistretta. The Maria Messina Literary Prize was first held in 2004 and is dedicated to the writer Maria Messina.

Maria Messina, one of Sicily’s most important women writers, was born in Palermo in 1887. In 1903 her father, a school inspector, was transferred to Mistretta, where the family lived until 1909. During those formative years she began writing stories inspired by the town. They were published in 1911 and contributed to two notable collections, Pettini fini and Piccoli gorghi. She later wrote novels and books for young readers and died in Pistoia in 1944.

One hundred years after leaving Mistretta, Maria Messina symbolically returned to the town she loved. In 2009 her remains were laid to rest beside her mother in Mistretta’s monumental cemetery. The initiative, promoted by Associazione Progetto Mistretta with the municipality and local community, also led to a street near the Church of San Giuseppe being named after her.

To honour the author—who corresponded with Giovanni Verga—Associazione Progetto Mistretta has organised the literary prize since 2004. The nineteenth edition was scheduled for 5 October in the reception hall of the Circolo Unione.

The prize is open to writers, young authors and students who find their chosen form of expression in writing. Over the years it has honoured prominent Sicilian, Italian and international writers and cultural figures, with participants and award recipients from the United States, Germany, Tunisia and Spain.

The event also recognises associations, local initiatives and individuals whose work contributes to storytelling, the arts and cultural life. This edition includes a posthumous award dedicated to a distinguished painter from Palermo.