In Gallipoli, as in many parts of the South, traditions mark the passing of time, in a cycle of devotion and culture that animates the area.
Gallipoli’s traditions can be encapsulated in four calendar cycles: of the purifying fire and gozzoviglia, starting with the bonfire of S. Antonio Abate on Shrove Tuesday; of the bonfire of S. Antonio Abate on Shrove Tuesday; and of the bonfire of S. Antonio Abate on Easter Sunday. Antonio Abate to Shrove Tuesday; of penitence and resurrection, from Ash Wednesday to Easter with the rites of Holy Week; of carefree holidays, from the Canneto fair to the feast of Santa Cristina, with the cuccagna on the sea, and the illuminations of the Carmine, Sacro Cuore and San Luigi; of expectation, with the pastoral that marks the stages leading up to Christmas in the vigils of Santa Cecilia, Sant’Andrea, Immacolata and Santa Lucia.
- CARNIVAL OF THE FALÒ AND GREASE TUESDAY – An ancient tradition, documented in acts and documents dating back to the 18th century, which has its roots in medieval times, still lived in continuous osmosis between paganism and Christianity, between naturalistic fervour and intensely lived popular religiosity. The traditional mask of the people is “lu Tidoru” (Teodoro), a young soldier from Gallipoli who was kept away from home, much to the distress of his mother, “La Caremma”, who asked for divine intercession to get him back in time for Carnival. God granted an extension of two days (the days of the old woman) to the Carnival celebrations, allowing Teodoro to return to his homeland. Caught up in the revelry, Theodore gorged himself on sausages and meatballs, so much so that he choked on them and died together with the Carnival. This tale gave rise to the tradition of ‘te lu carru ti lu Tidoru’, which ran through the streets of the old town and has continued over the years. In 1954, the ‘Associazione Turistica Pro Gallipoli’ (Gallipoli Tourism Association) set up the traditional parade of papier-mâché floats, which over the years grew in popularity and became known nationally and beyond, becoming the main event of the Salento Carnival. The mastery in the construction of the papier-mâché floats, the pungent satire and the awareness-raising continue to animate the fantastic allegorical floats that, given their imposing size, parade in the main street of Borgo Nuovo.
- HOLY WEEK (Easter) – the rites of the passion and death of Jesus Christ are strongly felt in the city of Gallipoli, whose heartfelt devotion is marked at various times during Holy Week:
– The Holy Shroud, a liturgically authentic copy of the one in Turin, arrived in Gallipoli Cathedral as a gift from the Bishop of Gallipoli, Quintero Ortis; it is displayed on Good Friday;
– On Good Friday, in the week preceding the Holy Week, Mary’s sorrows are experienced in a solemn procession by the Frottola, a sacred oratorio with four voices and a choir of children’s voices.
– On Holy Thursday, the ‘Sepulchres’, or the Eucharist, are set up in the churches. The Eucharist is worshipped with a different setting every year, rich in plants, sprouted wheat, candles and meaningful images. Each confraternity makes its own visit, preceded by its own banner, the cross of the mysteries, the ‘trozzola’ and the sound of drums. In the afternoon of Good Friday, the Confraternities of the Crucifix and of the Angels organise the procession of the Dead Christ, accompanied by the statues of the Passion and Our Lady of Sorrows, who closes the procession. The band accompanies the whole procession with solemn funeral marches, making popular participation even more enthralling; The procession of the Desolata, organised by the Confraternita della Purità, is a moving and pious procession of the dead Christ and the Madonna Desolata that takes place at dawn on Holy Saturday. The statue of the Dead Christ, made of 19th century papier-mâché, is placed in an artistic gilded wooden coffin, made in the Salento Baroque style. The statue of the Desolata is unique among papier-mâché statues, worked according to Maccagnani’s canons and humanised by a flowing, wild female hair, demonstrating the heartbreaking pain.
- FEAST OF SAINT CHRISTINA (23-25 July) – a civil and religious celebration of the city’s patron saint, it is undoubtedly the city’s most important feast day. According to tradition, St Christine freed Gallipoli from a terrible cholera epidemic, which caused hundreds and hundreds of deaths in 1867. In the Church of the Purità you can admire a beautiful papier-mâché statue of the saint tied to a tree and pierced by arrows, with a small dog at her feet. According to popular imagination, it seems that this little dog disappeared from the pedestal of the statue during the epidemic, only to reappear once the infection was over. The festival, which is particularly impressive thanks to the wonderful illuminations that decorate Corso Roma, begins on the morning of 23 July with the firing of fireworks, while in the late afternoon, at the port of Gallipoli, the statue of Santa Cristina is placed on a fishing boat and carried in procession into the sea. Here the waters of the port are blessed, with the participation of all the local fishermen, as St Christine is also the patron saint of fishermen. After the procession into the sea, the statue continues its procession through the streets of the city centre, greeted by the devotion of the citizens. At the end of the procession, the evening festivities begin with lights, music and stalls. Near the Church of the Sacred Heart, a “Cassarmonica”, a dome of illuminations, is set up to host the famous band concert. The festival goes on for three days and is a great success every year, attracting not only the local population but also the neighbouring population and, as always, enchanting the many visitors and tourists passing through.
