Our Lady of Mount Carmel Festival
Solemn celebrations in honor of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel in Mottola
About Carmine Festival
The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Festival in Mottola
The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Festival is one of the most anticipated religious and civil events in Mottola, a town in the Alta Murgia area in the province of Taranto, in the heart of Puglia. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel is deeply rooted in the town's history and involves the entire community every summer, also drawing back numerous Mottola natives who return for the occasion. The solemn festivities take place in mid-July and are organized by the Confraternity of the Carmine and Purgatory together with the cultural association "Mottola, la Città in Festa".
The Novena and Enthronement
The spiritual journey of the festival begins with the enthronement of the statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, accompanied in a procession from the Mother Church of Santa Maria Assunta to the Church of the Carmine. From that moment until the eve of the feast, the novena is celebrated with daily evening Holy Mass, while the final days see an intensification of prayer gatherings, the welcoming of new devotees, and moments of fellowship among the confreres.
The Procession and the Colonna dei Massari
The heart of the festival is July 16th, the liturgical feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The day begins with hourly Holy Masses at the Church of the Carmine and a evocative dawn celebration at the rock-hewn Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, known to locals as "Madonna Abbasc," an ancient hypogeum nestled among centuries-old olive trees on the hillside. In the late afternoon, following the Eucharistic celebration on the church square, the traditional procession begins: the statue of the Virgin is carried on the shoulders of the Colonna dei Massari, a group of bearers who proudly guard this ancient privilege.
Music, Illuminations, and Fireworks
Alongside the religious dimension, the festival offers a rich civil program. The streets of the historic center light up with artistic illuminations, while brass band concerts mark the days with great traditional classics. The evenings feature musical shows and tribute bands, and the grand finale is entrusted to the fireworks display at Largo Rotonda, which closes the festivities to the applause of the crowd.
A Sanctuary Between Faith and Landscape
The Mottola devotion to the Carmine is linked to the rock-hewn Sanctuary of "Madonna Abbasc," located in the countryside just a few kilometers from the town: a place of silence and spirituality where the rock-hewn tradition of Puglia and the landscape of the Murgia of Taranto coexist. The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Festival thus represents, every July, a moment in which faith, collective memory, and the identity of Mottola intertwine in a deeply popular celebration.
Carmine Festival — edition 2026
For 2026, the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Festival in Mottola confirms its rich calendar of faith and tradition. The spiritual journey begins on July 7th with the enthronement of the statue, accompanied in a procession from the Mother Church of Santa Maria Assunta to the Church of the Carmine; from here, the novena begins, with daily Holy Mass at 7:00 PM (7:30 PM on Sundays) until July 15th.
The solemn festivities are concentrated from July 14th to 16th. On July 16th, the feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Church of the Carmine hosts hourly Holy Masses from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM; at dawn, at the "Madonna Abbasc" rock-hewn Sanctuary, the "Dell'aurora tu sorgi più bella" initiative takes place with the Office of Readings and a celebration presided over by Monsignor Sabino Iannuzzi, Bishop of Castellaneta. In the afternoon, after the Eucharistic celebration on the church square, the traditional procession moves at 7:00 PM with the statue carried on the shoulders of the Colonna dei Massari.
Programme Carmine Festival 2026
Preparatory Phase
- July 7 - Enthronement of the statue and procession from the Mother Church of Santa Maria Assunta to the Church of the Carmine; start of the novena
- July 7-15 - Novena with daily Holy Mass at 7:00 PM (7:30 PM on Sundays)
Solemn Festivities (July 14-16)
- July 14 - Concert by the tribute band LARADIOA1000MAX dedicated to 883 and Max Pezzali
- July 16 - Hourly Holy Masses from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Church of the Carmine
- July 16, at dawn - "Madonna Abbasc" Sanctuary: "Dell'aurora tu sorgi più bella", Office of Readings and Holy Mass presided over by Bishop Sabino Iannuzzi of Castellaneta
- July 16, afternoon - Eucharistic celebration on the church square
- July 16, 7:00 PM - Procession with the statue of the Virgin of the Carmine carried on the shoulders of the Colonna dei Massari
Music and Entertainment
- Brass band concerts by the bands of Ailano, Mottola, and Bitonto
- Artistic illuminations by the Paulicelli company of Capurso
- Fireworks display at Largo Rotonda by the Maxima Fireworks company of Bitonto
Highlights Carmine Festival 2026
Prices Carmine Festival 2026
Practical information — Carmine Festival
When
The solemn festivities take place in mid-July, with the novena in the preceding days and the culmination on July 16th, the feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Where
Church of the Carmine, historic center of Mottola (TA), Puglia. The procession passes through the main town streets. Dawn celebrations are held at the rock-hewn Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mount Carmel ("Madonna Abbasc"), in the countryside a few kilometers from the center.
Admission
All religious and civil events are free and open to everyone.
How to get there
Mottola can be reached via the SS100 Bari-Taranto road; the nearest train station is served by the line to Taranto. By car, it is recommended to park in areas outside the historic center during the procession.
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Where does it take place — Carmine Festival
Chiesa del Carmine
Chiesa del Carmine, 74017 Mottola