The districts of Motta Sant'Anastasia
A peculiarity of the village of Motta Sant'Anastasia is represented by the existence of the Rioni.
These are a sort of parties, born in the 19th century with the function of paying homage to the patron saint of the town, Sant'Anastasia, whose holiday fell on 25 December, but was moved by the Mottese to August because, at that time, the harvests from the fields facilitated the raising of the necessary funds for the festival.
In 1820 the two parties of the Campagnoli and the Maestri were born. In 1880, due to the expansion of the country towards the south, a third party was formed, called Panzera, an appendage of the Campagnoli. In 1968 the three parties transformed into districts: Giovani Maestri district, Vecchia Matrice district and Panzera district.
The < b>Rione Giovani Maestri was born with the name of the Workers' Party and workers and artisans belonged to it. The colors that have always distinguished them are white and blue. Since 1979 the association has been known thanks to its group of flag-wavers and musicians, which arose to coincide with the celebrations in honor of the patron saint Sant'Anastasia. They are inspired by a document from the 1400s which describes a knightly tournament reserved for the Sicilian nobility which took place in Catania, where the contenders were welcomed by the waving of drapes and flags.
The Rione Vecchia Matrice, originally the Campagnoli party, occupies the area surrounding the Norman castle. The characteristic colors of the district are yellow and green, the colors of Sant'Anastasia, the patron saint of the village. The district proposes themes and legends of Sicily, enriching its parades with the choreographies of the flag-waving group of the Norman House.
The Rione Panzera was born when a group of wealthy farmers, gathered together at Petra sciddichenti, decided to independently participate in the celebrations in honor of the Patron Saint. The Panzera flag-waving group was born in 1971 and, over the years, has won numerous awards.
