Page 47 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Sicily

SICIL Y THROUGH THE Y EAR  45

Average Monthly Temperature
°C °F Temperature
30 85 From May to Sep tember
the average temperature
24 75 is rarely below 20° C
(68° F), and, except for
18 65
very unusual weather, it
12 55 is seldom below 10° C
(50° F) any other month.
6 45 July and August may
see peaks of more than
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 32 40° C (104° F).
place in Monreale’s splendid enthusiastic participation of
medieval abbey. the local people. There are also
Festival di Morgana (Oct–Nov), a limited number of events
Palermo. International marionette in January.
workshop of the Opera dei
Pupi, held at the Museo December
Internazionale delle Marionette, Convegno di Studi
with plays and exhibits. Pirandelliani (early Dec),
Festa di San Martino (Nov 11). Agrigento. This work shop
In towns and at wineries, the includes lectures
saint’s day is celebrated and productions of
with festive sampling Pirandello’s plays. The Festa del Mandorlo in Fiore, Valle dei
of the year’s new wine. Festa di Santa Templi at Agrigento
Lucia (13 Dec),
Syracuse. On the January
Winter saint’s feast day, Festa di San Sebastiano
Winter in Sicily is her statue is taken Acireale, Catania. On 20 Jan the
usually cool and out in a public saint’s statue is taken from his
often rainy, and may procession and church on a wooden float and
not be the ideal is then placed on borne in a procession in front
season to visit the public exhibition of a huge crowd.
interior and the The Madonna del Soccorso, for eight days.
larger towns. In celebrated at Sciacca Christmas Season February
February you might (Dec). Churches Festa della Madonna del
see one of the many Carnival across Sicily display nativity Soccorso, Sciacca.
festivities held throughout the scenes, a custom believed to Festa del Mandorlo in Fiore
island, which are famous for have been started by St Francis (Festival of the Almond Tree in
their originality and for the of Assisi. Bloom), Agrigento. The arrival of
spring is celebrated in the Valley
of Temples. At the same time
there is the Folklore Festival,
which for more than 50 years
has featured folk music and
dance from all over the world.
Festa di Sant’Agata (3–5 Feb),
Catania. The city is filled with
devotees who invoke the
saint’s protection, while
Catanians, dressed only in
“sackcloth”, bear her statue.
Carnival, Acireale. Allegorical
floats, a colourful atmosphere
and huge crowds.
Carnival, Sciacca. One of the
most famous in Sicily.
Sagra della Salsiccia, del
Dolce e della Trota (sausage,
pastries and trout), Palazzolo
The carnival at Acireale, considered one of the most colourful in Sicily Acreide, Syracuse.

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