Stile Mediterraneo Cooking and Wine School in Puglia (Apulia) Italy

Events in Puglia Italy

16th and 17th January: the Focara fire celebrations in Novoli

In Novoli they call this time fire days because the fiesta in honor of the Saint Antonio is celebrated around a focara which is a bonfire made with vine branches from the plants which have just been pruned. This "mountain" can be more than 25 meters high. Religious symbols are placed on top. Fire is very often used during rituals in the salento area. Perhaps this is due to the pagan culture and because it symbolizes purification and rebirth. It takes several months to prepare this enormous bonfire. Every year thousands of people and pilgrims come here to see the focara.

19th March: Saint Giuseppe's fiesta in Giurdignano (Lecce)

During Saint Giuseppe's fiesta big meals are prepared with great care in Giurdignano. Typical Salento dishes are offered to friends, visitors and relations. A sagra is held in the main square of many little towns, such as Giurdignano where a long table is set. This is an old tradition which originally comes from charity to poor people during festivities. The way the table is set varies from town to town but the number of dishes is always thirteen. The food is quite similar everywhere and the people sitting around the table symbolically represent Saint Giuseppe, the Apostles and other Saints.

Easter week in Gallipoli

The sea, worship and people. In Gallipoli the Easter week rituals take place in the narrow streets in the old town. This part of Gallipoli is linked to the more modern area by a bridge. During this rituals the atmosphere is solemn and nearly surreal. These traditions are still carried out especially thanks to the work of religious groups. Each tradition has its own colors, symbols and a precise role during the long week celebrating Christ's death and resurrection. The rituals begin on the Friday that falls 3 days before the Palm Sunday when the first procession takes place. The most interesting part of the rituals takes place during the evening of the Easter Friday when the members of the religious congregations carry statues representing religious scenes on their shoulders. This procession is incredibly long and continues until dawn.

Easter Monday in Calimera

 Calimera is one of the towns part of the Grecia Salentina area. Easter Monday in Calimera is an example of how the Salento is a land of the Religious and the Profane faith, devotion and local traditions. In Calimera celebrations, music playing and dancing go on nearby the chiesetta di Saint Vito. Inside the church you will see a big limestone block with a hole in the centre. It looks like it has not been placed there and is part of the ground in this area instead. According to a well known old Calimera ritual wishing fertility and health, you must kneel down and put your whole body through the rock. The space you should go through is actually quite narrow but they say that anyone can go through the hole if they have faith. In ancient times this tradition was a way to push away negative energy and begin a new life hoping to achieve fertility and strength.

 

 

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