Feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian — Depressa

An ancient festival in the heart of Salento

In the small village of Depressa, a hamlet of Tricase in the province of Lecce, Saints Cosmas and Damian are venerated as co-patrons and celebrated annually with two days of festivities on September 26th and 27th. It is one of the most heartfelt events of the Salento autumn: as the beach season draws to a close, inland towns take center stage with their patronal festivals, and Depressa is no exception, drawing residents from neighboring villages and many emigrants returning home for the occasion.

The origins: the fair of Ferdinand II of Bourbon

The tradition dates back to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. On September 25, 1854, King Ferdinand II of Bourbon authorized by royal decree an annual fair in Depressa on September 26th and 27th, coinciding with the liturgical feast of the two physician saints. At the time, the village had just over six hundred souls and lived off agriculture: the fair represented a precious economic opportunity and a source of prestige for the community. While the market of the past has long since disappeared, the devotion to Cosmas and Damian — the martyr physicians who, according to tradition, treated the sick for free — remains deeply rooted in the town's identity.

Religious rites and processions

The heart of the festival is the religious program. On the first day, holy masses are held in the parish church; at the end of the services, the statues of the Saints are carried in procession through the streets of the center to the Chapel dedicated to them, where they remain exposed for the veneration of the faithful. On the second day, celebrations move to the Chapel, with masses throughout the morning, before the return of the statues to the mother church and the evening procession that concludes the festivities.

Illuminations, bands, and fireworks

Alongside the sacred program, Depressa offers a rich secular schedule. The village streets are dressed in spectacular light displays (luminarie), while the Apulian brass band tradition takes center stage with concerts by major touring bands hosted in the bandstand (cassa armonica). There is no shortage of light music evenings and cabaret shows, much loved by the Salento public, and the inevitable fireworks display that lights up the sky over the hamlet. It is the typical encounter between popular faith and village celebration that characterizes the patronal festivals of Puglia.

Depressa, a village to discover

The festival is also an opportunity to discover Depressa, one of the most evocative villages in the municipality of Tricase, with its castle, noble palaces, and the Lecce stone architecture typical of lower Salento. A few kilometers away are the historic center of Tricase, the coast of Marina Serra, and Tricase Porto, in a part of Puglia rich in history, sea, and traditions.