Focarina de Campèt

The Focarina de Campèt, the St. Joseph fire ritual

Every year, in the heart of the Bastia district of Savignano sul Rubicone (Province of Forlì-Cesena, Emilia-Romagna), an event rooted in the most authentic Romagna peasant tradition is renewed: the Focarina de Campèt. This is the St. Joseph bonfire, the large fire lit throughout Romagna around March 19th to bid farewell to winter and welcome spring. An ancient ritual, suspended between pagan beliefs and Christian devotion, where the flames rising in the darkness become a symbol of rebirth and good omen for the countryside and the year ahead.

A neighbourhood festival at Parco Bastia

The event takes place at Parco Bastia and is organized by the local Pro Loco association, Chi burdel de' Campet, the same group that organizes the popular Festa de' Campet in the summer. The Focarina is the moment when the community gathers outdoors, around the fire, to share a simple and heartfelt evening of celebration. Doors open at 7:00 PM: the program combines the charm of the bonfire with a food stand and live music, in a family atmosphere that attracts residents and visitors from neighbouring towns in the Rubicone Valley.

Flavours of Romagna and live music

The beating heart of the evening is the food stand, where the 'ardzore' (local women cooks) and Pro Loco volunteers offer traditional Romagna dishes, from piadina to specialties of genuine and generous cuisine. Accompanying dinner and the bonfire is always live music, with bands and tribute acts animating the park until late into the evening. The festival has free admission and is for all ages, true to the convivial spirit that has always characterized events in the Bastia district.

A living tradition in the Rubicone Valley

The Focarina de Campèt is part of the rich calendar of St. Joseph bonfires and 'fogheracce' that, every March, dot the villages and districts of Romagna. In Savignano sul Rubicone, this custom remains particularly vibrant thanks to the commitment of neighbourhood associations, who preserve the fire ritual as a moment of identity and community gathering. Participating in the Focarina means experiencing a piece of Romagna's popular culture up close, where the act of lighting the bonfire still unites different generations around the same flame.