The popular tradition of Puglia has always boasted a busy calendar of festivals, fairs, and patronal feasts. Each one represents one of the most awaited moments of the year for both children and adults. It is precisely the older generation that best explains how these festivals in Puglia and the patronal celebrations have evolved over the years, drawing from their own memories. There comes a time in a person’s life when the memory of the past becomes more pressing, and the desire to gather data and information turns into an inner need. Recovering the spirit of the festivals reflects this condition, and their careful analysis contributes to the reconstruction of the identity of a town or city.

Even though this year is truly unusual due to Covid-19, better known as the Coronavirus, some of these typical festivals in Puglia may still have a chance to take place. At the end of this article, we summarize what the 2020 festival calendar of Puglia would have been.

Until a few decades ago, festivals were simply religious celebrations held to commemorate the patron saint or the consecration of a church, altar, or votive shrine. Around the parishes, there was much activity; the streets of the ancient villages were adorned with colorful sheets and fine fabrics. The local community thus expressed its desire to come together in a tradition.

Today, the nature of the festivals has evolved; on the one hand, it retains many features of the ancient custom, but on the other hand, it continues to undergo considerable enrichment.

Puglia is a region with a vibrant heart. From Gargano to Salento, from the Bari coastline to the Itria Valley, throughout the entire year, this wonderful land comes alive with colors, lights, music, and scents. Whether you are in a small village or a metropolitan city, every town holds dear the celebration of its patron saint, the date of which varies from town to town depending on the saint being celebrated. Wherever you participate, you will experience a memorable time. Patronal feasts are united by many factors: processional rites where the priest and the faithful walk together through the streets of the town, physically and spiritually holding up the statue of the saint, which is adorned with precious clothing and crowned with gold; handmade decorations, known as luminarie, towering up to thirty meters high, depicting religious motifs and church facades; devotees who tell the story by singing ancient popular songs in harmony with the music of professional brass bands; fireworks that light up the dark sky at night with a magical rainbow of colors, often signaling the end of the celebration, leaving a dense, whitish trail of smoke in the air.

The wealth of Puglia is immense. In addition to what has already been mentioned, there are also numerous food and wine festivals throughout the region. Originally, these were popular festivals held in villages to celebrate an event, a harvest, or a product; today they have taken on added value and are much more renowned on a large scale.
During such events, any road you take in the surrounding area—municipal roads, outskirts, or provincial ones—will have particularly heavy traffic. On that specific date, there is a temporary migration of residents from one city to another to take part in the big celebration. Even though the protagonists of the festivals are often products already well known to many, including those from nearby areas, the demand for participation continues to rise. A huge machine is set in motion: the festivals now attract tens of thousands of visitors.