Every year in February, Agrigento celebrates the first almond blossoms of the season in its Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore.
The almond blossoms are celebrated as harbingers of spring; once the delicate pinkish-white blossoms appear, spring can’t be too far behind - at least in Sicily!
The splendid backdrop for the festa is Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples, home to one of the most outstanding examples of Greater Greece art and architecture, with seven Doric temples, listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Almond Blossom Festival, Agrigento’s most important event of the year, began in the nearby village of Naro to greet the early blossom of almond trees' delicate flowers. It was moved to the Valley of the Temples around 1935.
The highlight of the festival, which continues for ten days, is on the closing Sunday, the 22nd of February. A parade, accompanied by songs and dances, winds through the streets of Agrigento, celebrating peace, joy and fraternity.
Make sure to bring your walking shoes to follow the parade and your dancing shoes for an international folk dancing fest as seen here:
