The Feast of Santa Lucia di Maggio (St. Lucy of May), also known as the Feast of Santa Lucia delle Quaglie (St. Lucy of Quails), is one of the most heartfelt traditions in Syracuse.
The event takes place on the first Sunday in May to commemorate the miracle of the Saint during the famine that struck Syracuse in 1646.
The event includes the “flight of the doves”, which are released into the sky during the procession.
In recent years this feast was enriched by historical costumes: a long procession of figures in Baroque costume, dressed as sailors and craftspeople of the time, parades in the square while in the main port, a small vessel simulates the arrival of grain to Syracuse.
