"Taratata" Holiday

The blazing Mediterranean sun beat down on the animals and men that tended them. It was 1639, just ten years since Sicily was under Norman rule after centuries of Arab domination.
The Christian shepherd raised water to his mouth. Gulping a few mouthfuls, he badly needed to freshen, as best he could, his hot body. As he did so, he stopped and gazed... his old cow walked away from the herd – she never did that – and strolled to a spot in a nearby field.. and there, proceeded to kneel. The locals were very stupersticious. They crossed themselves, believing it was a sign... Then the cow strolled back to its herd.
The next day, it happened again... and for several days it happened, every day, same time, same spot.
Convinced that this was a sign from above, the locals decided to escavate. Deep underground, on the very spot the cow would kneel, they unearthed a massive wooden cross. There could be no doubt that the cow was heavenly inspired!

The Feast of the Taratata.

Ever since that day in 1639, the “miracle” of the finding of this cross has been celebrated in the area around where it was found. Subsequent carbon dating of the cross has shown it to be almost 500 years old when it was found, dating it back to the time of the crusades.
The feast is basically Arab based, with the “Taratata” dance being an arab war dance, involving the four quarters of the city in their fighting costumes, and armoured jumping dancing movements. This dance is performed in the town square, amidst colour, light and food galore. Naturally, the whole town is closed off for this 3-day feast.
Essentially, the feast is a mix of elements. The main one, which probably interests our clients most, would be the horse parade. Based, I presume, on the old tradition of marching the battalions through the streets, it now involves all the local horsemen bringing out their very best steeds and marching through the streets in their best riding splendour. The mounts are mostly Arab and Andalusian stallions, many of the highest calibre. Their march through the crowded streets is a spectacle, as the highly strung horses prance and jostle through the throngs of people around them.
The feast also involves processions in period costumes, food stalls with local produce and sweets, as well as the dance itself.

Taratata 5-Day Holiday Itinerary.

(We can accomodate different dates to suit individual requirements. Itinerary may be slightly altered depending on circumstances...)

Day 1. Wednesday (15th May)
21.00. Arrival at Palermo airport. Pick-up and taken to Palike B&B in Piazza Politeama, possibly the hub of Palermitan night night. Clients can rest after their flight and then go out for a meal and some night life. Around the area are all sorts of restaurants, cafes and bars offering a wide choice of foods and beverages. The vibrant Piazza and the surrounding streets are buzzing with activity till the early hours of the morning. (evening meal not included)

Day 2. Thursday (16st May)
Breakfast at the Palike B&B. Pick-up at 10.00 and travel to Alia (expected arrival around 11.15). Settle down at Lago Verde, time for a drink and then off for lunch at “Sotto l’Archi” (a local family run Sicilian restaurant in the centre of the village). Afternoon – we introduce the riders to our horses in our school. A Short 1 ½ hour ride to the famous Archeological Gurfa Caves, carved out by prehistoric man over 7000 years ago.. This will be followed by a BBQ, with lots of food and free wine and beverages, on our large terrace overlooking the Gurfa valley.

Day 3. Friday (17th May)
After breakfast, we take a long morning ride down the valley and along the countryside till we get to a nearby town called MercatoBianco. . This minute village of about 500 inhabitants is one of those places where the proverbial “time has stood still” thoughts can’t help but spring to mind. Except for the odd car, nothing can have changed here for at least a hundred years. We will visit a local cheese factory, turned restaurant and proceed to lunch at a local small country farmhouse for lunch, riding back in the afternoon.
In the evening, we set off to Casteltermini for the first night of the Taratata. This evening, amidst great pomp and celebration, the massive cross is marched through the streets of the town, followed by a procession of colourful costumes, bands playing and crowds of visitors to the otherwise quiet town. We will dine in a local restaurant and return in the late evening.

Day 4. Saturday (18th May)
After breakfast, we take a tour of Palermo, the capital of Sicily. This should be a drive you would never forget as the bustle of the chaotic city and their strange ways are sure to leave thier impression. We shall spend the day viewing some major sites of this city, where history, old cultures and modern day life blend so confusedly together in a way more akin to a far eastern town than Europe. We shall also visit some markets, famous for thier variety of wares. Lunch shall be had at a Palermitan restuarant. In the evening, we go to Casteltermini for the second night of the Taratata. Tonight, we shall see the march of the horsemen on their best Arab and Andalusian steeds. This is a very late night and we are likely to return in the early hours of the morning, long before the end of the feast, which carries on throughout the night till dawn. We dine in a restaurant in the vicinity of Casteltermini.

Day 5. Sunday (19th May)
Today we ride up the mountainside to one of the many spectacular views of the Madonie mountains. Lunch shall be an outdoors picnic, in a chosen spot along the way, where our four-wheel drives shall gain access. In the evening we return for the last night of the Taratata where the main event is the Arab sword dance. During the evening we will have time to walk the streets of the feasts and view the many stalls of local foods and produce, and join the crowds in thier merrymaking ways. Again we shall dine in a restaurant in the vicinity of the town.

Day 6. Monday (21st May)
After an early Breakfast (and bags packed), we set off for a ride on one of our mountain trails.
After having lunch at Lago Verde, we set off to the airport for the trip home.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions, or for group discounts...

Last Updated - 11th February 2012