Feast of San Donato

A summer festival in the heart of Salento

The Feast of San Donato is one of the most cherished summer events for the community of Acquarica del Capo, a town that has formed the municipality of Presicce-Acquarica in the Province of Lecce, at the southern tip of Salento, since 2019. Every year, around August 7th, the town dedicates an evening to San Donato, in a typically Salentine blend of popular faith, social gathering, and entertainment.

San Donato and Salentine tradition

In Salento, the cult of San Donato has ancient roots: popular devotion has always invoked him as a protector against ailments, to the point that epilepsy was once known as the "disease of San Donato." For generations, the faithful have turned to the saint during his early August feast day, and even today, Acquarica del Capo keeps this memory alive with a celebration that combines religious reflection with the joy of the town square.

The Cuccagna, the popular heart of the evening

The most anticipated moment is the Cuccagna game: a pole or tree trunk made slippery with soap that the bravest participants attempt to climb to win the prizes hanging at the top. It is a traditional southern peasant game that returns to Acquarica del Capo every August 7th, turning the square into a theater of challenges, spectacular falls, and applause. The entire village gathers around the Cuccagna, from children to the elderly, in an atmosphere of spontaneous and genuine celebration.

One of Italy's most beautiful villages

The festival is also an opportunity to discover Acquarica del Capo and the entire municipality of Presicce-Acquarica, recognized as one of the Borghi più belli d'Italia (Most Beautiful Villages in Italy): whitewashed alleys, courtyards, noble palaces, and churches that tell the history of the Salentine Serre. Those arriving for San Donato will find a town living its summer to the fullest, with festivals, food fairs, and events following one another from July to September, in the typical calendar of Salentine evenings.

The Feast of San Donato remains, above all, a community festival: born from devotion and grown as a moment for the town to come together, it continues to mark the summer of Acquarica del Capo with its most popular evening.