Sicily’s sun-drenched coastlines, luxury villas, glittering pools and summer evenings dining al fresco under starry night skies are up there with life’s great pleasures. But while in July and August, Sicily is all about the pool and the beach, Easter is the time to luxuriate in gentle sunshine and linger over tables laden with fresh spring flavours. It’s also the perfect time to delve deep into the island’s culture and traditions.
Easter is when towns and villages come alive with colour, with the sound of chiming bells and the joy of local communities coming together as processions creep through winding streets and palazzo-fringed piazzas. And with mild spring temperatures, exploring an ancient site with a private guide or heading into the hills for a hike is infinitely more comfortable than during the intense summer heat.
Colour and tradition, on during Holy Week
With fesCviCes taking place throughout Holy Week, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, rather than all being focused on Easter weekend, there’s plenty of opportunity to witness the best of Sicilian tradition and cultural life. You’ll find something going on in most main towns across the island during the run-up to Easter, with local people coming together and performing age-old rituals, often against the backdrop of a town’s spectacular historic centre.
The Processione dei Misteri in the coastal city of Trapani in western Sicily is amongst the best-known of the celebrations. The 2-mile procession of the 20 ‘Mysteries’ (sculptures representing the stages of the Passion and Death of Jesus) has taken place through Trapani’s streets every Good Friday for more than 400 years, involving thousands of people. At Case Fil, a contemporary villa set among the olive groves and vineyards around Trapani, you can fully immerse yourself in Sicilian culture, flitting between the Easter celebrations in Trapani and nearby Erice.
Alternatively, base yourself at the stylish designer villa Olivia in the small town of Trabia on the north coast for a glimpse of the dramatic Easter events in the villages around Palermo. Celebrations vary enormously from one locaCon to another: the remote village of Prizzi to the south of Palermo features a rather menacing Dance of the Devils on Easter Sunday, while at San Marco delle Scale, Benedictine monks celebrate Easter and the coming of Spring on Easter Monday by freeing birds to the soothing accompaniment of Gregorian chants.
In the baroque heartland of south-east Sicily, the hugely atmospheric ‘Maronna Vasa Vasa’ double procession winds through the streets of Modica, with other celebrations taking place in the nearby towns of Ragusa Ibla and Scicli. Easter in Syracuse and Noto is a more low-key affair, leaving plenty of time for exploring the more traditional sights as well as enjoying afternoons on the beach. Beachfront Villa Renata is well located for both towns and leads directly onto the sand at Fontane Bianche beach.
Easter food and spring flavours
Food and wine are intrinsic to any Sicilian experience and particularly so at Easter, when lamb, Sicilian Easter bread and delicate spring vegetables are on most Sicilians’ lunch menu. Dine out on melt-in-your-mouth herby roast lamb with seasonal fava beans and tender fresh peas, followed by an indulgent traditional candied fruit-topped cassata for dessert.
Then there’s also the temptation of the array of sweet treats that fill the windows of the local Pasticciere, synonymous with Easter in Sicily. Marzipan lambs and brightly coloured fruit, ‘cassatedde’ ricotta-filled baked tarts, traditional Easter ‘Colomba Pasquale’ (similar to a panetone) and egg-studded ‘cuddura’ (traditional Sicilian Easter bread) all prove quite impossible to resist!
Indulge in personalised winery visits
For wine enthusiasts, Easter is an excellent time to explore some of the island’s most celebrated wines at a leisurely, unhurried pace. Vineyards are green and lush after the winter rains, and with peak wine tourism generally not starting until late May, you’ll be able to enjoy a more exclusive experience, particularly at some of the smaller family-run wineries. Stay at Casa dei Sogni, an elegant contemporary villa near Acireale, and join a personalised guided winery tour on the slopes of Mount Etna. Elsewhere, you’ll find notable wine estates in the southeast of the island, around Menfi in the south, and the Marsala wine region in the west.
Enjoy nature and spring sunshine at Easter
Sicily’s remarkably diverse landscape means that there’s plenty to do in the great outdoors, from a leisurely stroll in a nature reserve, cycling or horse-riding, to more invigorating mountain hikes. Enjoy glorious walks across verdant countryside and hills carpeted with wildflowers in the Madonie and Nebrodi nature reserves. Stay at Villa Nefele and spend days exploring their peaks and hideaway villages, then return to the tranquillity of your villa to watch the swallows dip over the infinity pool and the sun sink over the distant Aeolian Islands while your private chef whips up a delicious Sicilian feast.
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