The Almond Blossom Festival is celebrated in the Valley of the Temples (Valle dei Templi), an archaeological site located in Agrigento, Sicily, that is one of the most significant examples of ancient Greek art and architecture and is a major attraction in the region.
The festival takes place against the beautiful and iconic backdrop of the Valley of the Temples and the blooming almond groves. It celebrates the spring and the blooming of the almond trees, which, together with olives, represent the traditional product of the Valley of the Temples. The almond is the protagonist of the festival. Cultural, musical, and folk performances are held during the Almond Blossom Festival with the aim of promoting the beauty, traditions, and products of Sicily.
The Almond Blosson festival is also connected to a myth described in Homer’s Odyssey: The Greek warrior Acamante left to fight in the Trojan War alongside the Achaeans and, during his ten years of absence, his beloved Fillide never stopped waiting for him. But, after the war ended, not seeing him return home, Fillide died in despair. The goddess Athena, moved by the story, decided to transform Fillide into an almond tree. Acamante, in reality, was alive but stranded on his ship. When he learned of the death of his beloved and her transformation into an almond tree, he embraced the tree, which suddenly bloomed.