The patron saint of Ustica is Saint Bartholomew, celebrated on 24 August. The choice of patron saint was imposed by the colonists from Lipari, who settled on the island in 1763; the activities linked to the celebration include boat races, pot-breaking, art performances and fireworks.
In 1759 Ferdinand III of Bourbon imposed the colonisation of the island, after medieval attempts to settle it had failed due to raids by Barbary corsairs, who had made it their own refuge: two watchtowers were built, the Torre di Santa Maria and the Torre dello Spalmatore, part of the warning system of Sicily's coastal towers, along with rainwater cisterns and the houses that formed the main settlement near Cala Santa Maria. Colonists arrived from Palermo, Trapani and the Aeolian Islands, accompanied by about a hundred soldiers. Alongside the patronal feast, the island also keeps the feast of San Bartolicchio, celebrated on 19 September in honour of a small statue of the saint kept in the district of Oliastrello, and the procession of the Madonna dei Pescatori, held on the last Sunday of May.
