The Lovers' Legend, historical remake in Capoliveri

The Lovers' legend goes back to 1534, when the fate of two lovers fell tragically into the hands of the Saracen pirates. The historical remake, on the other hand, goes back to the XVII century, when Don Domingo Cardenas, a noble Grand Duke of Spanish origin, settled in the place where, according to the legend, Maria sacrificed her own life in an attempt to swim out to the pirate ship where her beloved Lorenzo was held prisoner.

Today, a historical procession still walks through the town streets as far as the Lovers' beach; here, a challenge takes place between the crews of the various parts of the town who try to win the "ciarpa" (from "sciarpa"=scarf) that Maria lost tangled on the rocks when she jumped into the sea. The winneres hand the shawl over to "Don Cardenas" who then gives it to a girl from the area that has won; she is then "Maria", and keeps the ciarpa until the following year.