Madonna del Ponte Fair

The Madonna del Ponte Feast in Acquarica del Capo

The Madonna del Ponte Fair is one of the most cherished events in the calendar of Acquarica del Capo, a district of the municipality of Presicce-Acquarica, in the heart of lower Salento in the province of Lecce. Every year, on the first Sunday following September 8th, the village renews its Marian devotion with two days that weave together religious worship, popular folklore, and a renowned late-summer fair.

The legend and the chapel

The feast is linked to the small Madonna del Ponte Chapel, located outside the ancient town walls. The current building was constructed starting in 1901 on the ruins of a 17th-century structure and inaugurated in 1924. Inside, it houses a precious wooden statue of the Infant Mary dating back to 1759. Popular memory tells that during a violent flood that struck the area in the second half of the 18th century, the sacred image remained intact: according to tradition, the heavy rains and gusts of wind ceased at the sudden sound of the small church's bells, an event interpreted as a miraculous sign that gave rise to the devotion.

The procession and the band

The central moment of the festivities is the solemn procession that winds through the streets of Acquarica del Capo with the statue of the Madonna, accompanied by numerous faithful and the traditional itinerant brass band concert. Illuminations decorate the main squares and streets, while the evenings feature Salento folk music, comedy shows, and stage concerts.

The fair and the district games

Alongside the religious celebrations, there is a fair dedicated to local craft products and regional gastronomic specialties, a mercantile tradition that has accompanied the feast for generations and attracts visitors from all over the Capo di Leuca. In the days leading up to the feast, the "Palio del Ponte" is also held, a historic competition between the town's districts which reached its 32nd edition in 2025, with popular games organized at the oratory's sports fields.

A late-summer ritual in Salento

Taking place in mid-September, the Madonna del Ponte is among the last major feasts of the Salento summer season: an opportunity to rediscover the identity of Acquarica del Capo, its popular religiosity, and the peasant and artisanal culture of southern Puglia. Presicce-Acquarica, listed among the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy, also offers visitors a heritage of underground oil mills, noble palaces, and churches that complete the festival experience.