Deep-dive

Identity and administration

Special statute of 1946 with the Sicilian Regional Assembly. Nine provincial territories: metropolitan cities of Palermo, Catania and Messina and six free municipal consortia. Arbëreshë minority (law 482/1999) in Piana degli Albanesi, Santa Cristina Gela and Contessa Entellina; Sicilian and Gallo-Italic protected by regional law. Festivals: Santa Rosalia, Sant'Agata, Opera dei Pupi.

Sections: Geography · History · Population · Languages · Time zone · Public holidays

Palermo – Metropolitan City of Palermo, capital Palermo (seat of the Region and the ARS)
Catania – Metropolitan City of Catania
Messina – Metropolitan City of Messina
Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Enna, Ragusa, Siracusa, Trapani – free municipal consortia (former provinces), each with its capital in the town of the same name

Statute, provinces, languages

The Sicilian Statute (royal legislative decree 455/1946, converted into constitutional law 2/1948) gives the Region exclusive powers over agriculture, tourism, planning, cultural heritage and other matters, a Regional Assembly with 70 deputies and the retention of most tax revenue. The provinces were replaced in 2015 by three metropolitan cities and six free municipal consortia, run for years by commissioners. Law 482/1999 protects the Arbëreshë (Albanian, Byzantine-rite) community of Piana degli Albanesi, Santa Cristina Gela and Contessa Entellina; Sicilian, spoken by the great majority, and the Gallo-Italic dialects of Nicosia, Sperlinga, Piazza Armerina, Aidone, San Fratello and Novara di Sicilia are promoted by regional laws, not by law 482.

Palermo: Santa Rosalia, Festino on 14–15 July with the triumphal cart and the procession of 4 September to Monte Pellegrino
Catania: Sant'Agata, 3–5 February, with the fercolo and the candelore, among the most attended religious festivals in the world
Messina: Madonna della Lettera 3 June; Vara and Giganti 14–15 August
Syracuse: Santa Lucia, 13 December; Trapani: Good Friday Procession of the Misteri (about 24 hours); Agrigento: San Calogero in July and Almond Blossom festival in March
Opera dei Pupi, puppet theatre, UNESCO intangible heritage since 2008; head-trained bush vines of Pantelleria (2014)
Holy Week in Caltanissetta, Enna and Piana degli Albanesi (Byzantine rite); Infiorata of Noto in May

Population

Regional figurePeriod: Jan 1, 2025Validsample unknown

Source: ISTAT – Popolazione residente al 1° gennaio (dataflow 22_289, DCIS_POPRES1)

4,787,390people