Befana del Maggi

The most imposing bonfire of the "Old Woman" in the province

In the heart of winter, when Epiphany closes the long festive season, the hamlet of Maggi in Sant'Agata Bolognese becomes the stage for one of the most anticipated rituals in the Bolognese plain. The Befana del Maggi is not just a village festival: it's the bonfire of a pole about 30 meters high, covered with pallets and straw, which burns in the evening darkness accompanied by fireworks synchronized to music. A fiery spectacle that the locals patiently build in the preceding days and which is considered among the most spectacular in the entire province of Bologna.

A tradition born in 1973

It all began in 1973, when a group of friends from Sant'Agata Bolognese decided to celebrate Epiphany by burning a small pile of wood. Year after year, imagination took over: the pile became an increasingly tall pole, the bonfire a true pyromusical spectacle, and the initiative a popular event involving the entire community. Today, it is organized by the Associazione Befana del Maggi (Befana del Maggi Association), which mobilizes the hamlet's residents for three full days in the construction of the monumental wooden structure destined for the bonfire.

Bonfire, music, and community celebration

The evening of January 5th is marked by musical entertainment with DJs, the opening of the food stand, and the arrival of Santa Claus and Befana, who distribute hundreds of stockings filled with sweets to the children. The highlight is the pyromusical show by PiroItaly, which sets the pole ablaze around 7:00 PM, transforming the hamlet's sky into a riot of lights and colors. Around the bonfire, the celebration continues with crescentine, gnocco fritto, cured meats, coffee, and rivers of mulled wine, in a convivial atmosphere that is the true secret to this tradition's longevity.

An identity event of Emilia-Romagna

The Befana del Maggi perfectly embodies the spirit of Epiphany festivals in Emilia-Romagna, where the bonfire holds symbolic value for purification and good luck for the new year: burning the "Old Woman" means leaving the past year behind and welcoming the one to come. Included among the events of the Metropolitan City of Bologna and promoted by the Bologna Welcome portal, the festival attracts visitors from all over the plain and beyond, confirming itself as an unmissable classic of Sant'Agata Bolognese's winter calendar.