The Cynara Festival has been a resounding success. Thousands upon thousands of people from all over Sicily and Italy flocked to the small village in Palermo to celebrate its majesty, the spiny artichoke of Cerda.
Cerda, April 29, 2029 – The Cynara Festival fulfills its promise, making Cerda the undisputed capital of the artichoke, as well as a haven for fine food and great wines, marking the beginning of authentic cross-border synergies. From April 20th to 28th, approximately 200,000 people filled the streets of the town to celebrate one of the most renowned products of the low Madonie and Valle del Torto countryside, cultivated by around two hundred producers, generating a turnover exceeding 20 million euros.
It was a continuous series of meetings and initiatives in a community deeply connected to the prince of local agriculture, synonymous with quality, featuring cooking shows, talks, tastings, and of course, the entire local cuisine scene, which this year saw the participation of towns ranging from Palermo to Cefalù, including Termini Imerese, Bagheria, Campofelice di Roccella, all united under the banner of the Cynara Festival.
64 events, 159 musicians, 71 craftworkers, 500 kilograms of pasta, 5000 servings of fritters: these are the initial numbers of the collective tribute to a timeless tradition, with record attendance recorded on Thursday, April 25th, the highlight being the 42nd Artichoke Festival. Speaking of artichokes, nearly 15,000 were harvested and used during eight days of conviviality and sharing.
To enrich the most attended edition in Cerda’s history, there was a partnership with seven wineries from the DOC Monreale, family recipes from the Brigade of the Ladies Cerdesi, a tribute to the timeless Targa Florio race, and the presence of illustrious guests, foremost among them Giusina Battaglia, a true Cerda native and the godmother of the event, who, along with producers, institutions, and taste enthusiasts, championed a gastronomic heritage of immense significance.
“We gave it our all, and these numbers prove it – declared Mayor Salvatore Geraci – . Every excellence deserves to be celebrated, and today more than ever, we look confidently to the future, focusing on the enhancement of productive specificities, tourist hospitality, and innovation. The Cynara Festival represents a new horizon for our land, with the hope that the event can, starting tomorrow, integrate the production chain of the spiny artichoke of Cerda, providing strength and credibility to a territory and a circuit of Taste and Culture that aims to modernize and share commitments. Now we need to work with the producers, bring them together, and develop new market outlets. The work has just begun”.
With its rounded shapes, red-violet hues, and excellent resistance in maintaining flavor and freshness, the spiny artichoke of Cerda is a strongly identifying vegetable, the root of a people enlightened by the sun, a crop that rhymes with culture. Since its inception, the festival has garnered widespread acclaim, even from the most reputable press, which day by day experienced firsthand the authenticity of this event in the small village of Palermo.