by Mario Masciullo
Castellana Grotte, the night of the hundred Bonfires A long trail of light with Fanove.Puglia festivities never end. While the echoes of the New Year’s fireworks were vanishing, another great event was ready to be celebrated. Castellana Grotte destination proposed to the Italians another Great Day. On the nights of 10 and 11 January the city of the Famous Caves of Castellana celebrated the Night of Fanove. At down the city was lit by hundred bonfires in honor of Our Lady of Vetrana
A long trail of light united the small city center and its districts, attracting catholic believers from the Salento and outer area of Italy around the bonefires, united in singing and enjoyng wine and typical products into the cold winter night. A scenary that reminded the famous Bosh paintings.

The festival commemorates the miracle of Our Lady of Vetrana that in 1691,(exactly three centuries and 25 years ago), spared the city from the plague, after appearing in the dream of two monks suggesting to them to organize large bonfires to burn all citizen’s clothes and old furniture. An event that recalls Manzoni’s book ( a classic adopted by the Italian high school yet in our days) that still lives in Castellana Grotte where the fire is retained an element of purification, liberation, health and peace. Nothing better than to kick off the new year tightening around the fire of Fanove.

The ritual begins in the morning of January 10 when the committee makes the rounds of the 100 Fanove (the pile of woods to be lit) to evaluate which is the most attractive. The Fanove (bonfires) are real monuments of the farming community, built in the shape of a cone. The roots of the olive trees are at the foot of the cones, the logs represent the height. The Fanove come in all sizes: the largest are in the district called Ramazzo, at the Convent and Pozzo cuckoo districts. The most representative are the four at the Porta Grande (Great Gate).

Throughout the afternoon the visitors carousel around the Fanove go singing on the beat of tammorra (tambourine) and guitars the traditional song dedicated to the Virgin Mary, “You belong to the people.”

The night between 10 and 11 January the event see a long procession of citizens starting at 3 am tthe visit of the olive mills of Castellana, producing good olive oil to offer to the Virgin Mary. Then stop in the oil mills Manghisi, Valente, Sgobba, Rotolo Festino, Pace and the Social oil mill Viterbo. The sound of the band that accompany the procession play a selected music: the Diana, a Nenia which softens the cold of the night and announces the arrival of the festival resounds through the streets of Castellana .

The olive oil collected at the mills will be offered to lit the oil lamps that will burn throughout the year at the foot of the statue of the Madonna in the Sanctuary. At sunrise when the tour is completed, the crowd is hosted by the mill Viterbo for breakfast in the style of the early days peasants before tackling for the hard work in the fields: Friselle, ( a local specialty double baked bread), fresh winter tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil, a precious juce of the local olives, coratina ( liver and lights) and the tops of Mola ( a local turnip) which is successfully exported throughout Italy and Europe.

On the afternon of 11January the highlight of the Festival. After the Mass at the Sanctuary the procession carries the statue of the Madonna of Castellana Vetrana. near the more symbolic Fanova at the Great Gate. The Mayor Franco Tricase will hand symbolically to the statue the keys of the city. The 100 Favonas will start taking out all at the same time as well as fireworks and music of the band creating a fairy tail scenary until daybreak of 12 jan.
It is the Night of the hundred bonfires, the Fanove, fire voucher of Puglia that unite, messenger of peace and friendship.