The Fòcara of Novoli: Italy's Giant Bonfire and Where to Stay
Every January, while the rest of Italy goes into hibernation, a village in Salento builds a mountain. For weeks, in Novoli, thousands of bundles of vine branches are stacked one on top of the other until they form a tower as tall as a building. Then, on the eve of Sant'Antonio Abate, the mountain catches fire: this is the Fòcara, one of the most imposing bonfires in the Mediterranean and the most spectacular winter festival in Salento.
What the Fòcara is (and why it must be seen once in a lifetime)
The rite is rooted in devotion to Sant'Antonio Abate, the saint of fire and patron of Novoli. The construction itself is a spectacle: the tower of bundles, tens of thousands of vine branches from the Negroamaro vineyards, grows for weeks like a piece of ephemeral architecture, and during the days of the festival the whole village gathers around it. The lighting, between 16 and 18 January, comes as the climax of days of celebration: fireworks raining down onto the tower, the blaze rising, and a heat you can feel from dozens of metres away, no small detail in January. All around, concerts, markets, pittule (fried dough balls) and wine: the entire village becomes a festival that lasts for days.
How to experience it: practical advice
- When to go: the night of the lighting is the iconic moment (exact dates are confirmed each year on the official channels of the festival and the town council); but the days before, with the tower complete and the celebrations in full swing, are also worth the trip, with far smaller crowds.
- Getting there: Novoli is northwest of Lecce; during the festival the village fills up, so arrive early and expect to park outside the centre and walk.
- What to wear: layers. January is mild by day but biting in the evening, until the Fòcara is lit and the problem reverses itself.
- With children: the festival is family-friendly and children adore the spectacle; for the youngest, the pre-lighting days or a spot at a distance on the night of the blaze work best.
Where to stay for the Fòcara
Novoli is a small village: sleeping places in the area sell out quickly and the immediate surroundings do not offer much. The solution we recommend, as locals, is the same one that works for the Notte della Taranta: sleep in the countryside half an hour away, and live the festival from there. Our Masseria Montanari, in Carpignano Salentino in the heart of the Grecìa Salentina, is about half an hour's drive away: you go to the Fòcara in the evening, come back to the silence of the countryside, and the next day discover the rest, Lecce 25 minutes away, Otranto 20, the Griko villages just five. The masseria is open all year round, with its climate-controlled vaulted hall and lodgings ready for winter; for groups there is the entire property, and a Fòcara weekend with friends, with the whole house to yourselves, is a way of seeing Salento that very few people know.
An idea for a weekend around the Fòcara
Friday: arrival, an afternoon stroll through Lecce, dinner of winter dishes: pittule, pulses, meat cooked "al fornello" (the traditional Salento grill). Saturday: a slow morning at the masseria or in the villages of the Grecìa, and in the evening the Fòcara, the lighting, the fireworks, the festival. Sunday: a long breakfast, a walk by Otranto's winter sea or among the olive trees, then home. Three days, an age-old festival, and a Salento that simply does not exist in summer.
In short
The Fòcara is the best reason to discover Salento in January, and January is Salento's best-kept secret. Write to us for the dates: we will tell you availability and what is on the programme that year, with no obligation.