Procession of the Vara in Messina: Changes in traffic on Ferragosto day

Last Updated: August 29, 2023

The historic Processione della Vara will take place in Messina on August 15th, the day of the Assumption festival. To allow the passage of the votive machine through the city center, the municipality has changed the traffic routes and implemented no-parking zones along the procession route. The municipal police will enforce these regulations. On August 15th, from 7 am to 5 pm, there will be a transit ban in the central part of Piazza Castronovo, while circulation will be allowed in the outer ring of the same square in a counterclockwise direction. Several streets along the procession route will have no-parking zones with towing enforcement from 7 am to 9:30 pm on that day. In addition, from 5 pm to 9 pm, there will be a double traffic direction in Via Vittorio Emanuele II, with some limitations on the tram service between Via Bonino and Piazza della Repubblica for safety reasons. During the procession, obstacles on the road will be temporarily removed and the affected areas will be fenced off and monitored to ensure crowd control and safety.