Madonna del Rosario Festival

An ancient devotion in the heart of Salento

The Madonna del Rosario Festival is the patronal feast of Vignacastrisi, a small village in the municipality of Ortelle, located in lower Salento in the province of Lecce (Apulia). Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Most Holy Rosary has been documented in parish and municipal archives since the 17th and 18th centuries; since then, the community has venerated her as its patroness and protector. The liturgical feast was set for October 7th by Pope Pius X in 1913, and the celebrations continue to take place during the first days of the month.

The procession and the Venetian statue

The most anticipated moment is the solemn procession which, on the day of the feast, winds through the streets of the village, carrying the antique Venetian-school wooden statue of the Madonna in triumph. Preceded by the ringing of bells and a dawn fireworks salute, and accompanied by civil and religious authorities along with the Festival Committee, the procession represents the devotional heart of the event, alongside the solemn masses celebrated in the parish church.

Religious rites and village festivities

As is typical of the best Salento patronal festivals, the sacred and the secular coexist in Vignacastrisi. The novena, evening rosaries, and Eucharistic celebrations are complemented by a grand daytime fireworks competition, brass band concerts featuring renowned Apulian marching bands, and musical evenings in Piazza Umberto I, filled with pizzica, traditional Salento folk music, and performances that draw both locals and those returning home for the occasion.

A defining local event

• Procession with the patron saint's antique Venetian wooden statue
• Solemn masses and novena in the Vignacastrisi church
• Daytime fireworks competition and pyrotechnic displays
• Grand Brass Band Concert with historic marching bands
• Evenings of folk music and pizzica in Piazza Umberto I

Vignacastrisi is located just a few kilometers from the Adriatic coast of Castro and Santa Cesarea Terme: the festival is also an opportunity to discover an authentic corner of southern Salento, far from the main tourist flows. The dates for the 2026 edition have not yet been announced by the Festival Committee and the Parish: as every year, they will be released in the weeks leading up to the event, along with the full program.