Giacinto Festival opens in Noto with memorial for local figures

The 12th edition of the Giacinto Festival, an LGBT+ themed event focused on rights, inclusion, and combating prejudice, has opened in the historic center of Noto. Artistic director Luigi Tabita inaugurated the festival with a memorial for two prominent figures from the Syracuse area who passed away recently.

The tribute honored Matteo Di Franca, a 24-year-old social activist, president of the Syracuse municipal youth council, and vice president of the association Giosef – Giovani senza frontiere, who died in a sea accident last July. The festival also remembered Franco Neri, a well-known pastry chef from the Alfio Neri family, recognized for his creative approach to Sicilian culinary traditions.