Night of the Bonfires and the Tammorra (Feast of Saint Anthony the Abbot)

A night of fire and tammorre in the heart of the Nola area

The Night of the Bonfires and the Tammorra is the most anticipated moment of the patronal feast of Saint Anthony the Abbot in Cicciano, in the Province of Naples, in the heart of Campania. For over fifty years, the community has gathered around the great Fucarone, the ritual bonfire lit in front of the church of Saint Anthony the Abbot on Via Matteotti, in one of the most iconic celebrations of the Nola area.

The Fucarone, a symbol of purification

As evening falls, the great bonfire is lit amidst the crowd: according to popular tradition, the fire represents a collective gesture of purification, rebirth, and protection, to which everyone entrusts the hardships of the past year and the hopes of the one beginning. The entire town gathers around the flames in a rite that unites religious devotion and peasant culture.

The paranze and the rhythm of the tammorra

The beating heart of the evening is the tammorra, the ancient drum of the Campanian folk tradition. To the overwhelming rhythm of tammorre, castagnette, and percussion, the paranze (traditional folk groups) from all over the province animate a timeless dance that continues until late at night, involving residents and visitors in a choral embrace of music and movement.

Faith, animals, and tradition

The patronal festivities, which span several days, combine civil and religious moments: Eucharistic celebrations, the procession with the statue of the Saint, and the characteristic blessing of the animals, a gesture linked to the figure of Saint Anthony the Abbot as the protector of the rural world and domestic animals. There is no shortage of fireworks that illuminate the sky of Cicciano.

Traditional flavors

The festival is also a convivial occasion: a food and wine festival offers typical dishes and local products to accompany the long night of music with the authentic flavors of the Nola countryside.

A heritage of the Municipality of Cicciano

Organized by the Municipality of Cicciano together with local associations and brotherhoods, the Night of the Bonfires and the Tammorra is now a fixed appointment in the Campanian winter calendar, capable of attracting thousands of people every year and preserving a precious intangible heritage from generation to generation.