FAI Spring Days in Matera

A National Event That Becomes Special in Matera

For over thirty years, the FAI Spring Days have been the major event of the Italian Environment Fund (FAI): a weekend when, throughout Italy, normally closed places, historic homes, churches, palaces, and workshops are opened to the public. In Matera, the 2026 edition focuses on a site that is worth the trip alone: the Workshop of the Bruna Float, located at Recinto Marconi in the popular Piccianello district.

Inside the Workshop of the Triumphal Float

It is here, away from the eyes of visitors, that the master papier-mâché artists build the triumphal float for the Madonna della Bruna, the imposing papier-mâché structure that parades through the city every July 2nd before being "strazzata," literally torn to pieces by the crowd in one of the most intense rites of Southern Italy. During the FAI Days, exceptionally, access is granted to the assembly hall for the 2026 Float, still under construction, a sight normally hidden from the public, accompanied by the works of papier-mâché artist Francesca Cascione.

The "Amicta" Exhibition and the Bruna's Vestments

On the first floor of the workshop, the exhibition "Amicta" is on display, dedicated to the transformations of the Madonna della Bruna's vestments from the 13th century to today: a narrative of devotion, fabrics, and sartorial art that reveals the historical depth of the city's devotion. Accompanying the visitors are the Apprentice Guides from Matera's high schools, the students whom FAI trains each year to guide visitors through the open sites.

Heritage, Education, and Community

The initiative, promoted by FAI in collaboration with the Municipality of Matera and local schools, intertwines heritage conservation, the education of young people, and Matera's identity. Visiting the Float Workshop means entering the secret laboratory of a tradition that the city experiences with absolute passion, in the full context of Matera Mediterranean Capital of Culture 2026.