Focara of Serranova

A grand bonfire in honor of St. Anthony Abbot

The Focara of Serranova is the fire ritual that, every year at the end of January, lights up the small seaside village of Serranova, a hamlet of the Municipality of Carovigno, in the province of Brindisi, in the heart of northern Salento. At the center of the festival is the focara: an imposing wooden tower built from the classic stack of winter prunings, which is lit after sunset and burns through the night before the entire gathered community.

The ritual is part of the popular Puglian and Salento tradition of the fires of St. Anthony Abbot, the hermit saint and protector of animals and the farming world, celebrated in mid-January with large propitiatory bonfires. In Serranova, this ancient devotion has transformed into an event that blends the spiritual dimension with a convivial one, attracting residents and visitors from across the Brindisi territory.

Fire, music, and street food

A widespread festival atmosphere develops around the fire tower: the village streets fill with music, featuring the DJs from the Salento radio station Ciccio Riccio, street performers and jugglers, and the aroma of street food, with local gastronomic specialties to be enjoyed outdoors. It is a free, family-friendly event where the warmth of the bonfire becomes a pretext to meet up, share food, and experience a January night together.

Serranova and Torre Guaceto

The village of Serranova lies in the hinterland of the Torre Guaceto Nature Reserve, one of the most precious protected areas on the Puglian Adriatic coast, dominated by the tower of the same name and its small hamlet. The Focara is organized by the local community and the Associazione Effetto Serranova, with the patronage and support of the Municipality of Carovigno and the Torre Guaceto Management Consortium: a grassroots event that has become a fixed appointment in the Carovigno winter calendar, effectively representing its conclusion after the Christmas holidays.

A ritual that unites the community

More than just a spectacle, the Focara of Serranova is a moment of identity: memory, energy, and social participation intertwine around the fire, and for one evening, the small hamlet becomes a shared space where generations meet. Those visiting Salento in the low season will find here an authentic opportunity to discover a living tradition, far from the summer tourist circuits, in the winter silence of the Carovigno countryside.