Cultural Events in Palermo

Palermo has a history that spans back into antiquity. The name itself is derived from the Greek and means “all ports”. That status as a port has shaped some of the festivals in this city. The constant arrival and departure of people from all over the region for so many thousands of years has had influences that have shaped this nation in the best possible way and consequences that have sometimes brought it nearly to its knees. Some of the most historically-significant structures in this city are its churches and many of the city’s most popular festivals are religious in their origins.

On July 14 of each year, the residents of Palermo come out onto the streets to celebrate at once one of the most important local heroes and one of the most devastating tragedies to ever visit the city. Like most places in Europe, Palermo was devastated by the Black Plague in ancient times. Its status as a port meant that the disease hit particularly hard here due to the constant influx of people. Local Tradition holds that Santa Rosalia freed the city from the Black Death in 1624. Every year, a procession is led down the main streets of the city to celebrate Santa Rosalia.

Exploring this festival can be much more of an occasion than simply attending a procession. Visitors to the city can take a bus up to the cave on Mont Pellegrino where the relics of Rosalia were found. These relics were borne around the city four times. The local tradition maintains that this act lifted the Black Plague from the city. Despite being ravaged by the plague, the city endured. This city is one of the most conquered in the world and has demonstrated its resilience many times throughout history.