Maletto, Italy

Experience Maletto

Maletto, a small picturesque town, is located on the island of Sicily, 87 miles east of Palermo.  It is an excellent base from which you can explore the unique offerings of this, the largest island in the Mediterranean.  There are many unique and diverse attractions to entice you.

There are certain times of year when you may find this destination especially interesting. One of these events is religious in nature.  February 3-5, you will experience three days of cult, devotion, folklore, and tradition that stand almost alone in the world.  Only the Holy Week in Seville, and the corpus Domini ceremony in Cuzco, Peru, may be compared in terms of popularity, to the festivities that for five centuries have immutably been held in St. Agatha’s honor. For three days, Catanians and tourists swarm in the streets, numbering to almost a million. During those intense days, Catania turns into one and only crowd marching behind the Patron.

The second festival derives from the Latin Feriae Augusti (the holidays of the Emperor Augustus) and traditionally celebrates summer and the end of hard labor in the fields. In the past, businesses used to close for the whole month of August and even now offices often close for at least one week as Italians travel to the beach for their annual holiday. Cities across the country become almost deserted apart from the ever-present tourists as residents leave the humid city air behind for the unrivalled beauty of the Italian coastline.  This would be a month to avoid if you want to travel Sicily because so much will be closed or to join if you want to be at the beach with all of Sicily!