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Traditions and Events

Events

Events in Saracena July-August: "Estate Saracenara" (organized by the local municipality) Various events featuring performances, music, and culture. Saracinema (organized by the youth association "Una Voce in Più"): Various evenings with initiatives held in the charming historic center (performances, gastronomy, and culture). Mountain Festival (August 15th, at the Novacco Plateau, organized by the Pro-Loco): Celebrating mountain traditions with music and local specialties. December 8th: "Festa di Perciavutta" (organized by the Pro-Loco): The day dedicated to tasting the "new wine." The Pro-Loco organizes various "tasting points" in the historic center, with the participation of folk groups. February 19-20: San Leone Festival (Patron Saint of Saracena). This is the most important event of the year. On the eve (February 19th), a festive torchlight procession takes place through the town streets (starting and ending at the Church of San Leone) with traditional singing and musical instruments. After the procession, huge bonfires ("Fucarazzi") are lit in every district, burning through the night. Groups of young people and elders, with accordions and guitars, go from neighborhood to neighborhood offering local products: cured meats, wine, and the excellent "Moscato di Saracena." This is an ancient festival that has been repeated for centuries, always the same yet always new. First Sunday of May: Feast of the Crucifix (Church of S. Maria del Gamio). Third Sunday of May: Feast of Our Lady of the Chain. Last Sunday of July: Feast of Our Lady of the Fiumara. Second Sunday of August: Feast of St. Leone. The Patron Saint is celebrated twice a year (February and August), a special tradition unique to Saracena. December 8th: Immaculate Conception. Saracena (CS), a small town in the Pollino region, is a member of the network of Wine Cities. It celebrates the world of wine and Calabrian agri-food products with a three-day event full of tastings, meetings, and workshops with prominent personalities and industry experts. Every year, a Festival dedicated to wine is held, providing an important showcase for promoting and enhancing the local agricultural productions of the Pollino area and the entire region. The event serves as a platform for dialogue between regional operators and sector experts. The event's program is rich and varied, involving winemakers, chefs, food artisans, farmers, shepherds, and breeders as ambassadors of Calabrian excellence. A key focus of the festival is always the Moscato Passito di Saracena, a Slow Food presidium.

Moscato

Moscato di Saracena is a wine made from the Moscatello di Saracena grape, an indigenous variety that is a typical and exclusive cultivation of the town of Saracena, located in the Pollino area of the province of Cosenza. As early as the 16th century, barrels of Moscato di Saracena were shipped from Scalea to be delivered to the papal court. The wine was a staple at the table of Pope Pius IV, and Cardinal Guglielmo Sirleto, the Calabrian Prefect of the Vatican Library, was particularly fond of it. In more recent times, there are precise references to this wine in two reports from the Grand Tour. Norman Douglas mentions it in his 1915 book Old Calabria, writing: "…the prosperous town of Saracena rises, famous since ancient times for its moscato. It is made from grapes brought by the Saracens from Maskat." Similarly, George Gissing in By the Ionian Sea (1901) recalls: "…as something fully worthy of ancient Sybaris, a white wine, pleasant to the palate, called Moscato di Saracena." Moscato di Saracena is a passito wine for meditation. It is produced through an ancient method that involves the separate vinification of the moscatello grape, obtained from the indigenous vine, and other grape varieties. The must obtained from the vinification of Malvasia, Odoacra, and Guarnaccia grapes is concentrated – through a skillful and unique boiling process – to reduce it by about one-third. This procedure increases the sugar content and thus the alcohol level. The unique aroma and taste come from the moscatello grape, which is harvested and dried several weeks before the harvest. The dehydrated, selected, and manually crushed moscatello grapes are then added – in the right proportions – to the concentrated must. After a long and slow fermentation, a passito wine is obtained with an amber yellow color, an intense aroma, and flavors of honey, dried figs, and exotic fruits. The wine has received significant international recognition and awards.

Piatti Tipici

Saracena is a predominantly agricultural town, with the highest productivity in olive cultivation, passed down from father to son using traditional methods. This method involves organic fertilization with natural fertilizers. Harvesting takes place in the autumn, generally using the traditional method of hand-picking olives. The olives, selected from carefully chosen plants that have reached the right stage of ripeness, are first hand-picked and then taken to the mill for cold pressing with stone grinders. The paste obtained undergoes no treatment and is immediately layered on diaphragms (fiscals) and passed through a hydraulic press (cold pressing). The must is then separated from the vegetable water by means of a vertical centrifuge, and the so-called "oil must" is extracted. Finally, the oil undergoes decantation and is stored in underground tanks at the mill. These underground tanks maintain the oil at a constant and optimal temperature, protecting it from light, vibrations, air, and unpleasant odors. All processing phases are completed in a very short time to preserve the quality and freshness of the oil. The timing, collection, type of processing, decantation, and storage, along with the complete absence of synthetic chemicals in every phase of cultivation and transformation, combined with favorable pedoclimatic conditions, result in a high-quality extra virgin olive oil with very low acidity. The production of this high-quality olive oil is described by some experts as the "Nectar of the Gods." The fame of our oil can also be seen in the presence of 16 olive mills in our territory. Moscato di Saracena, in Calabria, is a wine with references in 16th-century writings, an era when it traveled from Scalea to the papal court. The unique characteristics of this wine are numerous, starting with the grapes used: moscato grapes from an indigenous vine, and the Guarnaccia, Malvasia, and Odoacra grapes (a highly fragrant and aromatic variety). The production process is particularly interesting, as it involves two different musts. The proportions of the different grapes can vary significantly, but typically, Guarnaccia and Malvasia dominate, with a small addition of Odoacra (locally called Odoraca). After harvest, the grapes are hung on shaded racks to dry for about 20 days. This ancient technique, widely used in Italy, allows for a significant concentration of sugars and aromas. At this point, the best bunches are manually selected (usually by women), removing any with mold or defects. A very gentle, manual crushing follows, yielding the second must. The two musts – the "passito" and the "cotto" – are then combined to start a completely natural fermentation (using only the yeast present in the grapes), lasting up to two weeks. After two or three racking processes and about six to seven months, the wine is ready for bottling. Few local producers still make this wine, so most production remains home-made, and the average quality of Moscato di Saracena is not yet top-tier. The wine has an amber color, a very intense fragrance, elegance on the palate, and a good persistence. It pairs perfectly, not only with classic dessert wines but also with luxurious Calabrian pastries, such as almond paste or bocconotti with orange marmalade. The resinous and aromatic notes combine with noble hints of dried figs, exotic fruits, almonds, and honey. On the palate, it maintains elegance and finesse, with a moderate persistence and a pleasant bitter aftertaste. The Municipality of Saracena has established a Slow Food Presidia and participated in the Salone del Gusto in Turin from October 21 to 25, 2004. The project for the Moscato di Saracena Presidia, financially supported by the local administration, the Pollino National Park, and the Pollino Mountain Community, was submitted about two years ago to the Slow Food Presidia office. Thanks to the efforts of the Pollino Fiduciary, the international body for biodiversity protection considered the request seriously to protect the quality of this artisan-made dessert wine. This organization could become an opportunity for socio-economic growth for the town and a means of promoting tourism, environmental awareness, artistic exploration, and the region's enogastronomy. Among the typical dishes are homemade pasta: maccheroni cavati con ferro, lagane e ceci, lagane con finocchio selvatico, orecchiette al pomodoro fresco, vegetable and bean soups, roast kid, lamb and kid liver fry, stuffed heads, mazzacorde, stuffed eggplant, belly and stewed cod. Also renowned are the cured meats such as soppressata, salsiccia, guanciale, capicollo, and prosciutto. Among the sweets, you'll find zuccariddri, taralli, cuddrure (typically Easter pastries), and cannaricoli made with moscato.

Traditions

Traditions of Saracena July-August: "Estate Saracenara" (organized by the Municipal Administration) A series of events celebrating music, theater, and culture, organized during the summer period. Saracinema (organized by the Youth Association "Una Voce in Più") Initiatives held in the characteristic historic center, featuring performances, gastronomic events, and cultural activities. A chance to discover local culture in a welcoming atmosphere. Mountain Festival (August 15th) – Location: Piano di Novacco (organized by the Pro-Loco) A festival celebrating the mountain with a series of events, including popular traditions, music, and gastronomy, set amidst the beauty of nature. December 8th: "Festa di Perciavutta" (organized by the Pro-Loco) A day dedicated to tasting the "new wine". The Pro-Loco organizes several tasting points in the historic center, where folkloric groups accompany the celebration with traditional music and dances. February 19-20: Feast of San Leone (Patron Saint of Saracena) The most important event of the year. On the evening of February 19th, a joyful torchlight procession takes place through the streets of the town (starting and ending at the Church of San Leone), accompanied by traditional songs and musical instruments. After the procession, huge bonfires ("Fucarazzi") are lit in each district of the town, which burn until the following morning. Groups of young and old, with organs and guitars, move from district to district, offering local products like salami, wine, and the excellent Moscato di Saracena. This is an ancient festival that repeats every year, always renewing itself within tradition. First Sunday of May: Feast of the Crucifix (Church of S. Maria del Gamio) A religious celebration honoring the Crucifix, with processions and spiritual events. Third Sunday of May: Feast of the Madonna della Catena A celebration dedicated to the Madonna della Catena, a deeply felt tradition in the local community. Last Sunday of July: Feast of the Madonna della Fiumara An event celebrating the Madonna della Fiumara, with moments of prayer and popular traditions. Second Sunday of August: Feast of San Leone The Patron Saint is celebrated twice a year, in February and August. This is a unique "Saracenara" tradition, a sign of deep devotion and identity for the community. December 8th: Immaculate Conception A religious celebration marking the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, a time for reflection and prayer. The traditions of Saracena are a treasure of culture, devotion, and togetherness, making the town a place where history, faith, and love for the land converge in every festival.