Novara di Sicilia
Celebrations REIS: Sicilian Intangible Heritage Register
Feast of the Maiorchino

Feast of the Maiorchino

 Property included in the Register of Intangible Heritage of Sicily (REIS)

 During all afternoons of the Carnival weeks, the Maiorchino tournament animates the streets of Novara. Several teams, made up of three players each, compete by rolling the forms of local pecorino cheese, called Maiorchino, along a path of about two kilometers that goes from via Duomo (the starting point is called spotty cantuea) up to via Bellini and Piano Don Michele (the finish line is said in sarva). The starting launch takes place through the so-called lazzada: a string of about 1,00-1,20 meters, twisted around the wheel, is unrolled with force, giving the necessary thrust to the cheese wheel to start its journey. The team whose form reaches the finish point first with the same number of throws wins (corpi). The game is affected by a precise regulation and by dialectal terms that indicate moments, actions (ways and effects of the launch), places (stages of the path). During this event, in fact, the participants and the audience that assists and cheers, pronounces terms and expressions typical of the game and the place. For example, some useful tips for the starting phase can be mentioned: strìngila nice dense, squash it straight mau, lanzila or spìgu da cappillitta, put a giru and menzu i lazzada into it. The festival ends with a tasting of typical local products, among which, of course, the Maiorchino stands out together with ricotta and tuma. Unmissable is, by tradition, the macaronatawith pork sauce with a generous sprinkling of grated Maiorchino. (Text source: REI Sheet - Sicily Region)

 festival-majorchino-novara-of-sicily

 

 

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Technical sheet prepared by: Region of Sicily - Department of cultural heritage and Sicilian identity - CRicd: Regional center for inventory, cataloging and documentation and Sicilian regional film library

N. Prog. 44
Well: Feast of the Maiorchino
Book: REI - Book of celebrations
Approval date: 08-05-2006
Category: Party
Province: Messina
 
Municipality: Novara di Sicilia
 
Chronological News
According to some sources, already in the 600s there was an event called "game of the Majorcan", during which the shepherds challenged each other by rolling the cheeses they produced along the streets of the town, with the aim of demonstrating how well the seasoning was done. The traditional and characteristic game is still repeated today during the carnival.
Recurrence: Annual
 
Occasion: Carnival
Function: Traditional
Actors
Players divided into teams of 3 competitors each: they roll the cheese wheels, the team whose wheel reaches the finish first wins.
Each team appoints its own boss. To judge the outcome and the regularity of the competition, there are the "competition judges".
The Circolo Olimpia is currently the association that organizes the tournament and the Majorcan festival.
Local producers, during the festival, offer their dairy foods for tasting.
Participants: Local community, tourists
Description
During all afternoons of the Carnival weeks, the Maiorchino tournament animates the streets of Novara. Several teams, made up of three players each, compete by rolling the forms of local pecorino cheese, called Maiorchino, along a path of about two kilometers that goes from via Duomo (the starting point is called spotty cantuea) up to via Bellini and Piano Don Michele (the finish line is said in sarva). The starting launch takes place through the so-called lazzada: a string of about 1,00-1,20 meters, twisted around the wheel, is unrolled with force, giving the necessary thrust to the cheese wheel to start its journey. The team whose form reaches the finish point first with the same number of throws wins (corpi). The game is affected by a precise regulation and by dialectal terms that indicate moments, actions (ways and effects of the launch), places (stages of the path). During this event, in fact, the participants and the audience that assists and cheers, pronounces terms and expressions typical of the game and the place. For example, some useful tips for the starting phase can be mentioned: strìngila nice dense, squash it straight mau, lanzila or spìgu da cappillitta, put a giru and menzu i lazzada into it. The festival ends with a tasting of typical local products, among which, of course, the Maiorchino stands out together with ricotta and tuma. Unmissable is, by tradition, the macaronatawith pork sauce with a generous sprinkling of grated Maiorchino.
 
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Catalog Sheet
 
Bibliography
Campisi, Carmel. 1933. Sheep and pecorino from Sicily. Catania: Francesco Battiato Publisher.
2007. Historic niche cheeses in Sicily: production and market aspects. Palermo: Seriprint.

Giallombardo, Fatima. 2003. The table the altar the road. Sfood dinners in Sicily. Palermo: Saddlery.

Sicilian region. Regional Decree of 28 December 1998. Recognition of milk-based products as traditionally manufactured historical products, in Official Gazette of the Sicilian Region, Palermo, Saturday 6 February 1999, No. 6.
 
 
Footnotes
Maiorchino is a hard cooked cheese, typical of the Peloritani area.
The production has its origins in Novara di Sicilia, to later spread to neighboring areas such as Fondachelli Fantina, Basicò, Tripi, Mazzarà S. Andrea, Montalbano Elicona and Santa Lucia del Mela (all localities in the province of Messina). Produced for centuries according to traditional techniques, the cheese is made from sheep's milk and goat's milk (30%), the rennet is made from lamb or kid's paste. It is recognized as a traditionally manufactured historical product (DR 28 December 1998) and is included in the list of traditional agri-food products (PAT) drawn up by the ministry of agricultural and forestry policies. 
Author Profile: Mariangela Riggio

 

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14 Via Ingegnere Scandurra, Novara di Sicilia, ME, Sicily
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