The Camel of Casalvecchio Siculo
Alexandr frolov - CC4.0
The Camel, better known as U Camiddu, is the protagonist of a particular ritual that is held every year in Casalvecchio Siculo.
U Camiddu, according to tradition, metaphorically depicts the nearby city of Savoca: the two hills on which Savoca stands appear, from the Piazza della Matrice of Casalvecchio, just like the humps of a camel.
In on the occasion of the feast of the Patron Saint Sant'Onofrio, a rite is held which celebrates the civil autonomy obtained by the nearby municipality of Savoca in 1793: a camel made of wood and cloth is beaten, humiliated and, finally, tamed, amidst the shouts of the people and the rolling of the drums, by a camel driver, representing Casalvecchio Siculo.
This secular rite has nothing in common with the patronal feast, but it was chosen to represent it precisely on the occasion of the feast of the Patron Saint because on this day many emigrants they return to their native country.
