Focara di Sant’Antonio Abate

Fire is the main element in the celebrations done in Novoli to honour the Patron Saint Antonio Abate, during January. The “focara” is a huge pyre of wood and its construction is a ritual from very ancient origins. The event became really popular within the tourists and it now counts 150.000 visitors.

The religious celebrations end with the lighting of the “focara” the day before the Patron Saint day, on the notes of the marching band. In parallel, for 10 years, the civil celebrations are organised in a festival: the Focara Festival.

The huge pyre, according with the tradition, has to be built from the citizens, using shoots, obtained from the pruning of the vines. The pyre is lighted, in the square in the town suburbs, the 16th, Saint day’s eve, and it keeps burning until the day after.