In Sicilian culture, the Trinakrian trail, also known as “ Il Percorso Trinakria”, was probably an annual contest, a perigrination in the middle of the 18th century. The two divided parts of Nicosia in the centre of Sicily, in the province of Enna, competed for the honour.
Historical researchers discovered the trail by accident. By interviewing older people about San Felice da Nicosia, a saint that lived in that period, they heard about an ancient contest that took place between 1750 and 1756. The race was based on one goal : to get as close as possible to the sun. The part of the city that achieved to get the closest to the sun won the trail, and the respect of all the people of Nicosia.
Both parts of the city had chosen their best, most fit inhabitants to participate at an extraordinary hard race. Due to the heat of the sun and the rough nature, the race was exhaustive. They competed for three days to arrive at the top of the Sambughetti. The researchers reconstructed the trail that probably started in the ancient city of Nicosia, over the dry Salso River towards Sperlinga with a final “Corso di Sole” best described as the “Sun Run” to the top of the Sambughetti mountain. On the top the winning participants had to pick the largest stone, standing on the largest stone, they stood the closest to the sun and won the contest .
The origin of the trail isn’t very clear. It could have been based on a mythological story. There is a lead to an unknown story of Odysseus, helping Demeter to find her daughter Persephone.