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A procession of the Madonna of the Fishermen and a sardine feast.

Cherry festival, with traditional folk music.

A peach festival, with local food and popular music.

Local treats, including carob, breads, olive oil, wine and cheese.

St Joseph’s Day is celebrated fervently in the west, especially in villages such as Salemi and Poggioreale. Altars are constructed in homes, schools and public spaces, piled high with ornate breads and traditional foods – but no meat, out of respect for St Joseph’s poverty.

Rivals for centuries, the landowners and farmers loyal to San Paolo and the artisans and merchants loyal to San Sebastiano try to out-celebrate each other. Huge statues of the saints make an entrance from the church into the piazza where they are met with brightly coloured streamers, then journey through the village. Worshippers process barefoot well into the night.

A procession of a silver statue of Syracuse’s patron saint travels from the Duomo to the Chiesa di Santa Lucia, built on the spot where she was martyred in AD 304. As the protectress of eyesight, the faithful attach votive eyes made from silver, bronze or wax to her image.

Rosalia was the daughter of a nobleman but chose a hermitic life in a cave on Monte Pellegrino. The discovery of her relics “saved” Palermo from the plague in 1624. For six days, her relics, atop an ornate vara (float), are paraded around the streets of the city.

One of the earliest saints, Agata was martyred in Catania’s Piazza Stesicoro. The bejewelled reliquary bust of the saint is paraded around town followed by fanciful golden “candlesticks” so large that each one is hauled on the backs of 10 men. Balconies are draped in fabrics, flags fly, candles burn, and fireworks thunder at dawn.

The Holy Thorn is processed through the streets accompanied by the black-veiled Grieving Madonna. The solemn procession is accompanied by a drum and a trumpet, periodically letting out a mournful blast.