Living Tombola of Uggiano Montefusco

When tombola becomes a show

The Living Tombola of Uggiano Montefusco is a unique national initiative that turns the most traditional of holiday games into a genuine open-air popular spectacle. In the village of Uggiano Montefusco, a hamlet of the municipality of Manduria in the province of Taranto, the tombola board becomes gigantic: it is drawn across the pavement to occupy almost an entire square, and the 90 numbers are not drawn from a bag, but are 90 real people, each in costume and each carrying a story.

Ninety numbers, ninety stories

Each number is linked to an element of the local tangible and intangible heritage: typical products, folk songs, ancient crafts, historical figures, religious traditions, and legends of Salento. Among the characters that come to life are Saint Nicholas, the Quaremma (the traditional old woman figure of the Salento Lenten period), the Laùru (the mischievous elf of popular culture), and the nobles of the Montefusco family, ancient feudal lords of the Uggiano estate. The game thus becomes an opportunity to discover and pass on the identity of the most authentic Puglia in a creative and participatory way.

A project born from the community

The initiative is conceived and curated by the Gruppo Culturale Aracne, an association active since 1997 in the cultural enhancement of the territory. The Living Tombola debuted in 2023 as an evolution of a community tombola created during the pandemic, and it has grown year by year thanks to the collaboration of dozens of associations, operators, public bodies, and local entities. The event is among those supported by the Puglia Region as part of the promotion of tourist products linked to the holiday season.

How it works

The afternoon begins with the distribution of game cards and the gathering of the 90 living numbers in the municipal park of Piazza Giovanni Paolo II. From there, a procession winds through the streets of the village, accompanied by music and a town crier, until it reaches Piazza Castello, the heart of the event, where the actual living tombola begins. Admission is free, and cards are distributed for a voluntary donation, with proceeds going to charity.

An appointment in the heart of the Salento winter

Held in mid-January, at the end of the Christmas holiday season, the Living Tombola is now one of the most anticipated events in the winter calendar of the Manduria area and upper Salento. It combines performance, gaming, memory, and a sense of community, offering visitors a different and surprising way to get to know Uggiano Montefusco, Manduria, and the traditions of the Province of Taranto.