The church dedicated to the patron saint is the only one found in Ustica.
The patron saint’s feast day is celebrated twice a year.
Before the actual feast day, a novena is recited in honor of the patron saint. It consists of a traditional rosary, a chaplet, litanies, and a hymn in his honor.

The main aspect of the procession in honor of the patron saint is the formation of the cortege. In addition to the faithful carrying banners with the saint’s colors, red and white, there is also a group of women who carry ex-votos in procession.
These are anatomomorphic silver ex-votos and attest to the saint’s miraculous strength and power.
The ex-votos, in addition to enclosing devotional symbolism, particularly mark the importance of the festive moment when they are displayed and carried during the procession.

It’s the same saint, Saint Bartholomew. However, in this case, it’s a cult deeply rooted in the island of Ustica, as the island’s devotion is tied to an event unique to its context. Therefore, unlike the case of Saint Bartholomew, it’s not a process of inculturation that occurred through the Aeolians. The feast in his honor is celebrated on the second Sunday of September. It’s a rural festival, taking place in the Oliastrello district.

Before the actual day of the feast, a novena is prayed. For nine days, people gather at 9:00 PM in the small church dedicated to the saint’s statue. The bell ringing at the start calls the community to prayer. This consists of a sung rosary, in Sicilian. It’s the same rosary recited for the feast of Saint Bartholomew.

The festival takes place inside a “gorgo,” which is a basin built for collecting rainwater that is then used for animals and the land. It is precisely within this basin that the feast of San Bartulicchiu takes place, on the last day of the novena. It’s a moment of conviviality for the Ustica community, where people eat together, listen to live music, and organize games for children.

As highlighted by the data collected in the field and by listening to our interviewees, the choice of the day for the celebrations in honor of what is known as the Madonna of Fishermen or “Stella Maris” is defined as a tourist choice. This means that, in choosing the day dedicated to it, an effort was made to combine the devotional component with the tourist component, in order to preserve this tradition over time. It is celebrated on the last Sunday of May.

The statue dedicated to the Madonna is made of white fiberglass. It was created by the fishermen when this cult originated. It remains positioned throughout the year inside a flowerbed at the port, as a sign of blessing for the fishermen and for those arriving on the island. Nine days before, it is transported to the Mother Church for the novena that takes place before the actual day of the feast. On the day of the feast, a procession branches out from the Mother Church, descending to the port. Here, it will be placed on the boat that will transport it for the maritime procession.

This festival originated around 1830. Not long ago, it was celebrated in October. On the eve, the icon of the Madonna (the Pietà) was carried to the church. The next day, after mass, it was escorted back to its small sanctuary in the afternoon. Now, it is celebrated on the first Sunday of September.
The Madonna precedes San Bartulicchiu, and the festivities only concern the Sunday dedicated to her. In this case too, tourism played an important role. The festival was moved from October to the first Sunday of September to encourage greater participation, both from tourists who still visit the island of Ustica in September and from emigrants returning home during the summer.

The Feast of Saint Joseph in Ustica does not feature devotional altars, but rather a large table formed by the union of three tables, arranged to create a horseshoe shape. More than in other cases, this festival involves Ustica families in the food preparation aspect. There are women on the island who, for generations, have been protagonists in preparing dishes in honor of Saint Joseph. Everything cooked for the saint represents both a single offering and an act that strengthens this devotion through the development of conviviality. The latter is probably experienced even more deeply in the organization and preparation of the festivities.

A moment that highlights the catch of the day and marks the “anti-structural” nature of the Feast of the Madonna dei Pescatori. A festival in honor of a Madonna originally chosen by the fishing community as the protector of a specific category. A food that ultimately enhances the “maritime theme” of the celebration.

The lighting of the “vamparine” (devotional fires lit in honor of the Madonna della Croce, placed between the stations that make up the procession route) represents a devotional offering to the Madonna della Croce by farmers who own land in the areas affected by the procession. This votive dimension, expressed through fire and offerings to the saint, obviously entails another: the conflicting dimension that leads to rivalry over who lights the best fire in honor of the Madonna.