Feast of Saint Ciro, Co-Patron Saint

The winter festival of Villa Castelli

In the heart of the Apulian winter, the small town of Villa Castelli, in the province of Brindisi, lights up with faith and fire to pay homage to Saint Ciro, a physician, hermit, and martyr revered as the town's co-patron. The festivities traditionally take place in early February, drawing the entire community and devotees from neighboring towns to one of the most heartfelt religious celebrations in the local calendar.

Who is Saint Ciro

Saint Ciro was a physician from Alexandria, Egypt, who embraced a hermit's life, healing bodies and souls before suffering martyrdom for his Christian faith. As the protector of the sick and healthcare workers, he is deeply rooted in the devotion of the Ionian Puglia region; he is also one of the patron saints of nearby Grottaglie, with which Villa Castelli shares an ancient bond of pilgrimage and devotion. Local tradition recalls a miraculous event during the procession on January 31, 1952, which permanently cemented the affection of the local people for the saint.

The Focara, the heart of the festival

The most anticipated and spectacular moment is the lighting of the Focara (locally known as Focra), a massive bonfire set up on Via Kalivia, near the Madre Teresa di Calcutta Park. The blaze, fueled by brushwood and olive wood, symbolically recalls the saint's martyrdom by fire. In the 1960s and 80s, different town districts would compete in a friendly rivalry to build increasingly impressive pyres: today, the Focara remains the identity symbol of the festival, accompanied by fireworks, the musical tour of the "Città di Villa Castelli" Band, and the tribute of the Cantori di Villa Castelli.

The rites and the procession

The festivities open with a triduum of prayer and the welcoming of the saint's relics, culminating on Sunday with solemn masses and the grand procession through the town center. A gesture particularly dear to the community is the blessing of doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers in Piazza Municipio, which renews Saint Ciro's patronage over the world of medicine. The event also includes a blood donation initiative promoted by AVIS.

An identity-defining event

Bridging the sacred and the popular, the Feast of Saint Ciro is much more than a religious recurrence: it is the moment when Villa Castelli rediscovers its identity as a community, amidst the illuminations decorating the historic center, the band marching through the streets, and the warmth of the great bonfire defying the February cold. It is an authentic experience of Apulian folklore, far from mass tourism circuits.