Falò and Mattre of Saint Joseph

Two days of fire, faith, and conviviality

The Falò and Mattre of Saint Joseph is the signature festival of Erchie, a small town in the Province of Brindisi, in the heart of Salento and Puglia. Every year, on March 18th and 19th, the town celebrates Saint Joseph with a ritual that weaves together the sanctity of fire, popular devotion, and the generosity of communal tables. It is an event deeply rooted in the community, drawing visitors from across the Brindisi and Salento areas.

The fanò: the great bonfire of March 18th

The heart of the first day is the bonfire (known in dialect as fanò), a monumental, triangular-based pyramidal structure that can exceed fifteen meters in height, built with olive branches collected during pruning. Its lighting on the evening of March 18th celebrates the end of winter and the arrival of spring. The Saint Joseph bonfire in Erchie is so deeply ingrained that it is listed in the Regional Register of Fire-Related Festive Rituals in Puglia and is part of the "Treasures of Salento" cultural protocol.

The evening opens with the procession of the Saint's statue and a blessing, followed by the evocative performance of the Knights of Fire and the release of devotional paper lanterns into the sky. The soundtrack is provided by Salento folk music, featuring pizzica rhythms and tambourines, in a square packed with people.

The mattre: the tables of thirteen dishes

On March 19th, the day of Saint Joseph, the spotlight is on the tradition of the mattre: long tables set up along the streets of the historic center and laden with thirteen typical peasant dishes. Highlights include the famous tria—handmade tagliatelle tossed with fried oil and bread—as well as tria with chickpeas, fava beans, honey, fried vegetables like muscari and cauliflower, and salt cod. The tables are blessed after the Holy Mass at the Sanctuary of Santa Lucia, celebrated by the Bishop, followed by a procession.

Behind the mattre lies an ancient meaning of solidarity: in the past, on Saint Joseph's Day, the wealthiest families would offer food to the poor in an open-air banquet, symbolizing brotherhood. Preserved by the Pastoral Unit and the Pro Loco, the mattre remain a gesture of community and hospitality today.

A folk festival

Organized by the municipal administration of Erchie together with the Pro Loco and the Pastoral Unit, the event unites the sacred and the profane, faith and spectacle. Concerts, tastings, religious moments, and folk entertainment make the Falò and Mattre of Saint Joseph one of the most authentic events in the Puglia spring calendar, capturing the peasant and devotional soul of Salento in just two days.