From 1 to 8 September 2025 Castrolibero dresses up for the Festival in honor of Santa Maria della Stella, an appointment that combines faith, culture and popular traditions. The party – organized by the Santa Maria della Stella Association in collaboration with the parish and with the patronage of the Municipality – offers a rich program made of music, shows, workshops and tastings, with a careful eye also at the value of social inclusion.
A party between culture and fun
The billboard includes an interactive photographic exhibition, papier -mâché workshops dedicated to the little ones, popular games and concerts, including that of Mimmo Palermo & Giancarlo Pagano. There will be typical flavors of the Castroliberese gastronomic tradition, from the “spaghetti under the stars” to the stands with local dishes. Grand finale with the spectacular fireworks that will illuminate the sky above the village.
Particular attention this year will be paid to the papier -mâché workshops, which will also involve the boys of the AIPD – Italian Association of Down people in Cosenza, a sign of the desire to make the party a moment of collective and inclusion growth.
The birth of the “Mastru Rafele”
Among the most recognizable symbols of the celebrations is the Mastru Rafele, the large papier -mâché puppet that parades through the streets of the town before being burned in the square on September 7, in a ritual that has ancient origins and a strong symbolic value.
Tradition dates back to the early 1900s and is linked to the figure of Michele Greco, born in Castrolibero in 1876. Back from the United States in 1902, after a period of emigration, Greek was among the survivors of the terrible earthquake of 1905 that hit Calabria. To thank the Madonna della Stella, he organized a religious festival and, together, conceived a large papier -mâché puppet which was called “Mastru Rafele”. At the end of the parade, the puppet was burned in the square to exorcise the fear of the earthquake and renew the sense of rebirth of the community.
The “Mastru Rafele” between art and culture
The puppet is built with rods, papier -mâché and simple materials of the peasant and artisan tradition. The internal structure is empty, so as to allow a person to animate it to the rhythm of the music during the parade. A new one is created every year Mastru Rafelewhich on September 7 is symbolically burned in the square, in a collective rite that recalls the drama of the earthquake and renews the historical memory.
A tradition that looks to the future
The Mastru Rafele It is not just folklore, but represents a deep bond with the memory of Castrolibero. The Santa Maria della Stella association has chosen to relaunch it as a historical re -enactment, involving children, young people and local associations, so that the party becomes an opportunity for participation, inclusion and community growth.
Thus, between faith and tradition, culture and music, gastronomy and sociability, Castrolibero prepares to live a week of celebration that celebrates the past but looks to the future, in the sign of the Madonna della Stella and its unmistakable Mastru Rafele.