The patron saint of Acquedolci is Saint Benedict the Moor, born Benedetto Manasseri, born in San Fratello around 1524 and died in Palermo on 4 April 1589. A descendant of African slaves exploited in the area during the 15th century, in 1652 he was elected by the Senate of Palermo among the patron saints of the city and canonized in 1807 after a very long process: he is considered the first black saint of the Catholic Church, invoked as an intercessor for migrants, protector of difficult pregnancies and of the discriminated against, as well as patron against drought and livestock famine, of breeders and of jazz musicians.
Acquedolci's mother church, dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta, has since 1938 been the seat of the parish of San Benedetto il Moro, the only one in all of Italy dedicated to the saint. On 7 August the patron is solemnly celebrated, while on the third Sunday of May the co-patron Saint Joseph is celebrated. On 14 May the Fiera Storica is held, established in 1499 by Antonio Giacomo Larcan as a livestock fair and today among Sicily's historic fairs; on 15 August the procession of the Dormitio Virginis takes place. The Carnival of Acquedolci, one of the most renowned in Sicily, has as its official mask Doroteo, depicted enthroned at the Cupane castle.
