Eternamente – The Intelligence of Legality

Eternamente, where sport becomes a school of legality

Eternamente – The Intelligence of Legality is one of the most heartfelt civil and sporting events in the town of Mola di Bari, located in the heart of Apulia, just a few kilometers from the regional capital, Bari. For an entire week in May, the town transforms into a vibrant hub of sport and connection, where thousands of young people from all over Italy compete in tournaments, participate in workshops, and engage in moments of reflection dedicated to the values of legality, respect, and fraternity.

A story born from memory

The event was founded in 2001 in memory of Vincenzo Fontana, a young man from Mola deeply committed to church volunteering and the Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi, who passed away in a road accident. Around his memory, the Associazione Comunità Frontiera onlus, led by Father Giuseppe De Stefano and supported by about eighty volunteers, has built an educational path that intertwines sport and the culture of legality. The 2026 edition marks the twenty-fourth year, confirming a tradition now deeply rooted in the community's social fabric.

Sport as a universal language

The heart of Eternamente lies in its sporting disciplines, practiced as an educational tool rather than just a competitive one. Throughout the days, the program features tournaments and demonstrations of:

• football, five-a-side football, volleyball, and basketball;
• cycling and road safety courses;
• martial arts, dance, pole dance, and crossfit.

Surrounding the playing fields and the "Vito Pinto" Sports Hall are meetings with magistrates and law enforcement officers, testimonials from athletes, school workshops, podcasts, and events focused on friendship, communication, and the spirit of giving.

Music, shows, and public squares

Alongside sport, Eternamente offers dance performances, theatrical plays, DJ sets, and evening concerts that enliven Piazza Municipio and the city's public spaces. Each edition culminates in a grand musical evening that attracts audiences from the entire Bari metropolitan area, with the lighting and extinguishing of the tripod serving as a symbolic frame for the opening and closing of the week.

A community event

What makes Eternamente special is its deeply participatory nature: schools, parishes, associations, institutions, and families of Mola di Bari collaborate to ensure the event's success, making it an identity-defining appointment for the entire local community and the province of Bari. It is not just a simple calendar of events, but an educational project that renews the bond between memory, sport, and civic commitment in Apulia every year.