Among the best times to visit Sciacca, apart from the summer season, is the Carnival period.
The Sciacca’s Carnival is one of the most famous in Sicily, so much so that it is also famous in the rest of the country.
Its origins are very ancient, dating back as far as the saturnal celebrations of Roman times, or more likely to the 1600s.
The first editions reflected popular festivals during which participants dressed up and consumed typical local products such as sausage, cannoli and wine.
Over the years, the festivity evolved with the appearance of the first allegorical carts pulled by oxen or horses, on which masked companies performed in dialect.
The masterpiece of the festivity therefore consists of these colossal allegorical floats that make up the parade. These colourful works of art have become more and more sophisticated over the years, referencing well-known themes and characters depicted in a satirical manner.
The parades are accompanied by the throwing of streamers and confetti inviting participants to join in this collective festive mood.
The parades take place on Saturday (first route), Sunday, Monday and Tuesday (second route) of the week preceding the start of Lent.
On the last day of Carnival, the allegorical float of Peppe Nappa, the symbolic Carnival King, is burnt in the square, accompanied by fireworks.
So, if you decide to visit the city during Carnival time, you cannot miss this splendid event.
