La Focara in its generè the biggest bonfire in the world

Ersilio Teifreto

Published 27 Oct 2017

SUBSCRIBE 1SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBED UNSUBSCRIBE

Novoli a medium town is 11km from Lecce is located in the Valley of Cupa land between the 2 seas equidistant 20km from the Ionian and Adriatic. The origins of the village are very old, in fact, go back to the work of the Norman Maurelian who in 1075 – as a viscount of the city of Lecce – armed the surrounding territory with towers. These fortifications also arose in the Via Traiana, current site of Novoli where until a few years ago there was a triumphal arch; therefore, the inhabitants of the Porziano farmhouse and the neighboring towns of Lummarde term: for Longobardi? and of the Pizzinichi, fearing the destructive raids of the Saracens, they abandoned the insecure and swampy humid places in which they found themselves, seeking refuge among the towers, thus beginning the center of Santa Maria De Novis, built around three ancient pre-existing churches (but not more existing) of San Salvatore, San Giovanni and Santa Maria. The origins of the cult for Sant’Antonio Abate presumably date back to that time when the Saracens and the Mohammedans pushed inland to conquer Novoli, but in the assault they were repulsed by the Crusaders, it was the Orientals who prayed to the Holy Hermit and handed to the inhabitants the cult for the Egyptian Saint.

When in the late Middle Ages Novoli was hit by a serious illness called: herps zoster the population. who was very devoted to the Holy keeper of fire thought to use the method of the Antoniani di Ranverso that in Italy founded as many as 360 hospitals in Novoli the church of the Holy Hermit became a hospital and began to treat the sick with the fat Novoli pigs and his churches. The celebrations that take place throughout the year attract over 350,000 people. for the feast of the Focara every year among visitors, devotees and pilgrims we are 250,000 presences source statistics Doxa News ToriNovoli editorial of Ersilio Teifreto LA FOCARA DI NOVOLI – Between Festa delle Vigne and Bonfire with pruning in the Negramaro Park. Prof. Gilberto Spagnolo during an interview reveals a fact that many Novolesi did not know: already in 1460 the mint of Lecce was fed with the coals that produced the Carbonai of Novoli, since then the contact with the fire was continuous and never uninterrupted the cone shows the shape of the stacks that the charcoal burners prepared and we still use today. The start of the Fòcara construction takes place in the Festa delle Vigne. A religious procession of mid-December that unites citizens, faithful, viticulturists, institutions, and culminates with the laying of the first bundle of dried blessed vine. “La festa delle vigne” provides the ancient rite in which the “sarcine = fascine” are placed, coming from the pruning of the vines of the feuds of the whole Negramaro Park. The peasants take them firmly by putting them under their knees, while with small rapid steps forward they accumulate on their legs, they quickly turn them perpendicular along the row.

Leaning on them, they immobilize them and taking the “transverse jailer” they bind them vigorously crossing them and fixing them to “folded arms” .The bitter cold accelerates the movements and reaches the right quantity 250 leunes form the sarcina to start the construction of the Fòcara of South East Salento. The construction of the Fòcara must be finished strictly by the evening of January 15, at the cost of working in the dark with the headlights on, all the professionals embrace with their eyes shining with emotion, even this year with Antonio who supervised is the Fòcara the bonfire dedicated to Sant’Antonio Abate largest in the world has been completed..The following day, the harness is carried out on the eve, starting from the Sanctuary a human chain accompanied by the fixed band on the top of the monumental Fòcara the effigy of the Saint. La Fòcara has a diameter of 20 meters with an average height of 25/26 meters and rises to the sky like an 8-storey building. Tradition has it that it does not exceed the height of the 36 meters high bell tower. of the church of Sant’Antonio Abate, patron saint of the town. The big bonfire depends on the wind can burn for 3/4 days: 16, 17, 18 and 19 January. When it is finished, the Fòcara, with the dry bundles intertwined with techniques of mastery that are handed down from generation, will bear the weight of 700 tons over settlements in the wind and rain. When it is switched on, to make it safe, the “secret” technical method used, foresees that the Fòcara, as it burns, keeps the fire and the ash inside it, ensuring a high degree of safety, thus allowing families with children to approach the circle of fire without danger, to the rhythm of sounds and dance of the pizzica. For these reasons the Fòcara, built with the characteristics described, is considered by international researchers and by many institutions the largest in the world.

Ersilio Teifreto Edited by: Elis Karakaci