The fourth annual L’Acchianata delle Rosalie will take place on Friday, September 4, bringing more than 100 artists, a social bicycle ride, and the historic tradition of the “pizzino” to Monte Pellegrino, according to the cultural association Kleis and the Municipality of Palermo.
Event Schedule and Route Details
Activities kick off at 18.00 with a non-competitive social bicycle ride organized by MTBEARS Palermo and the Amici della Bici association, as reported by the event organizers. Participants gather at the Statua della Libertà in piazza Vittorio Vento to pedal toward Monte Pellegrino, where each cyclist receives a rose to carry to the sanctuary as a devotional tribute. A helmet blessing ceremony also takes place at the foot of the mountain to mark the start of the ascent.
The official inauguration begins at 19.30 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the mountain’s base. According to the Municipality of Palermo, the ceremony features Mayor Roberto Lagalla, Culture Councilor Antonio Rini, Events Coordinator Gaspare Simeti, and Father Nicola Fiorentino. Before departure, organizers distribute pencils and small white slips of paper to restore the traditional “pizzino a Santa Rosalia,” allowing pilgrims to write personal prayers and wishes for the journey.
Artistic Performances and Stations
From 20.00 to 23.30, continuous artistic performances animate the historic switchbacks along the “strada vecchia.” According to the cultural association Kleis, the route features three distinct artistic stages offering music, theater, singing, storytelling, cunto, and performance art.
The Stazione del Giglio at the base opens the artistic journey with a large collective of performers directed by Pietro Marchese, alongside musical accompaniment from the Banda Musicale dell’Associazione Bandistica Cavaliere Michele Cascino. Further up the panoramic route, the Stazione delle Ginestre hosts artists including Gaspare Balsamo, Gino Carista, Gaetano Basile, Silvia Trigona, and Ivan Fiore. The final stop at the Stazione delle Rose features numerous performers alongside the Laudate Dominum lyric choir of Bagheria and the Bequadro Symphony Orchestra performing “Rosalia Panormi Gloria.”
The evening concludes at 23.30 with a concert by Mario Incudine on the Belvedere terrace, accompanied by a quintet of musicians in a performance organized by Terzo Millennio. Monia Arizzi and Licia Raimondi host the event.
Did You Know? The event incorporates the traditional “pizzino a Santa Rosalia,” distributing pencils and white paper slips to pilgrims so they can carry personal prayers and requests for grace up the mountain.
Visual Arts and Photography Workshops
The evening also features the presentation of the annual Premio Acchianata, dedicated to honoring Sicilian artists’ commitment to their local heritage. A central space is reserved for “Rosalia 401,” a photographic project and visual narrative by Dissidenze Visual Lab, a collective formed in Palermo in 2023 by Marco Cascone, Andrea Guarneri, and Alfonso Pinto. The collective also coordinated a photographic workshop with the Kleis cultural association, documenting the ascent, the physical effort, and the devotional emotions of the participants.
Frequently Asked Questions [What is L’Acchianata delle Rosalie?] It is a cultural project and artistic pilgrimage organized by the Kleis cultural association in collaboration with the Municipality of Palermo that re-enacts the historic journey of the faithful toward the sanctuary of Santa Rosalia on Monte Pellegrino. [When does the event take place?] The fourth edition of the manifestation takes place on Friday, September 4, with activities running from 18.00 through the late evening. [What is the purpose of the social bicycle ride?] Organized by MTBEARS Palermo and Amici della Bici, the non-competitive ride gathers participants at the Statua della Libertà to cycle to Monte Pellegrino, where cyclists receive a rose for the sanctuary and participate in a helmet blessing ceremony.
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