Located in the heart of the Valle del Belice Salemi is an Arab-medieval city in the province of Trapani, Salemi has joined the “I borghi più belli d’Italia” club for several years.
It develops around the castle from whose terrace of the tower it is possible to enjoy a vast and evocative panorama over western Sicily to the sea, among the hills planted with vineyards and olive groves and gathers.
Here, every year, on February 3, one of the most important festivals related to bread-making has been celebrated for many centuries: The festival of bread in honour of San Biagio, patron saint of the city.
On this date the residents, go to the church of San Biagio, located in the ancient district of Rabato, and to pay homage to him they prepare traditional votive breads, made of unleavened dough, and baked in the oven, which are distributed to the faithful after being blessed.
These small loaves are called respectively:"cuddureddi" and "cavadduzzi" which with their characteristic shapes refer to the tradition they tell.
The first, in fact, symbolize the throat, of which San Biagio is the protector, as it is said that the saint saved the life of a boy who was dying suffocated by a fishbone.
The latter, on the other hand, would be linked to a miracle that took place after the saint's death.
It is said that during the reign of Charles V in 1542, the countryside of Salemi was invaded by swarms of locusts that destroyed the harvest and that, it seems, the city was saved from this invasion through the intercession of the saint to whom the people turned to. It was then that he was elected co-patronof the city of Salemi together with San Nicola di Bari. Since then, the people promised to thank the saint on every 3rd of February by reproducing the grasshoppers in the artistic loaves.
At the Norman-Swabian Castle starting from 16:00, the Historical Procession commemorating the Miracle of San Biagio has been held forabout ten years. At the roll of the drums, tradition and popular religiosity come together in a unique allegorical parade that commemorates the liberation of Salemi from the invasion of locusts.
It is a procession of nobles in medieval clothes, drummers, and musicians who, starting from the Castle, travels through the main streets of the historic centre of Salemi up to the church dedicated to the saint.
Although this year for safety reasons the procession could not parade through the streets of Salemi, not even the current situation has stopped the tradition. Even without the procession the skilled hands of master bakers have created the artistic breads made every year for thef estival, demonstrating that even though the historical moment we are going through has deprived us of many things, certain traditions survive despite external conditions.
