Madonna di San Fili Festival and Salento in Cima alla Cuccagna

The Madonna di San Fili Festival in Monteroni di Lecce

Every year, on the Monday and Tuesday following Easter, the town of Monteroni di Lecce, located in the province of Lecce in the heart of Salento, celebrates the Madonna di San Fili Festival. It is the most anticipated event of the local Easter Monday, a time when the community gathers around the small church of San Fili to blend religious devotion, folk tradition, and a unique, spectacular sporting competition.

Salento in Cima alla Cuccagna: the sport of greasy poles

The secular heart of the festival is Salento in Cima alla Cuccagna, the provincial touring circuit that brings its most prestigious stage to Monteroni. The greasy pole, once just a village game, has evolved into a recognized CONI sports discipline, complete with annual national championships. Teams of four athletes climb towering 14 and 10-meter poles, combining technique, strength, balance, and coordination. In Monteroni, eight amateur teams compete, while the local professional Madonna di San Fili team performs as an exhibition, acting as guardians of a tradition that is considered an authentic pillar of local identity.

A program of faith and spectacle

The first day opens with the inauguration of the market fair, holy mass, and the procession through the town streets, accompanied by a marching band. The afternoon and evening feature entertainment and fireworks. The second day is dedicated to the 'cuccagna': in the late afternoon, there is a pole for children, followed in the evening by the spectacular lighting of the poles amidst flames and fireworks, the team climbs, and the final awards ceremony in the presence of the CONI delegate.

The Sagra dei Sapori Nostri

No Salento festival is complete without great food. The Sagra dei Sapori Nostri offers the best of traditional Salento cuisine, with local specialties served at stalls set up around the festival area: a perfect opportunity to pair the excitement of the pole climbing with the genuine flavors of the Apulian land.

A unique event in Southern Italy

What makes Monteroni di Lecce special is its ability to transform an ancient festive practice into an organized, structured sport—a unique event in Southern Italy that has transcended local borders to reach national television. Between faith, folklore, gastronomy, and competition, the Madonna di San Fili Festival remains one of the most iconic events in the Salento region of Puglia.