Patronal Feast of Saint Prosper and the Most Holy Savior

The patronal feast of the highest village in Puglia

Perched at over 800 meters above sea level on the Daunian Mountains, in the northern Daunian Sub-Apennines in the province of Foggia, Faeto is the highest municipality in Puglia and one of its most unique villages. Every year, on the second Sunday of August, this tiny town overlooking the Tavoliere plain gathers around its patron, Saint Prosper the martyr, in one of the most heartfelt patronal feasts in the Daunia region.

Saint Prosper and the Most Holy Savior: two days of devotion

The festival spans two days. The first day, Sunday, is dedicated to Saint Prosper the martyr, patron of Faeto: his relics arrived in the village in 1866, donated by Pope Pius IX to the bishop of the diocese of Troia and entrusted by him to the Franco-Provençal community. The following day, Monday, the community honors the Most Holy Savior, titular of the 16th-century Mother Church with its majestic grey stone facade, which houses both the wooden statue and the urn containing the saint's mortal remains.

The procession and the Lë Faitarë folk group

The heart of the celebration is the procession, when the statue and the urn of Saint Prosper are carried through the streets of the historic center, starting from the Parish Church of the Most Holy Savior. Marching behind the cross and the banners is the folk group Lë Faitarë, founded in 1994: women in traditional costumes sing the Hymn to Saint Prosper in Franco-Provençal and Italian, a living testament to the culture of this linguistic island which, together with nearby Celle di San Vito, is the only one in Southern Italy.

Music, fireworks, and tradition

At the end of the procession, the traditional fireworks display lights up along Via Roma, while in the evening the festival culminates with a concert by the Wind Orchestra in Piazza Galileo Rubino, starting around 9 PM. There is no shortage of devotional moments with holy masses, stalls, and markets that bring the village to life, offering the chance to discover local products, first and foremost the renowned Faeto Ham.

Faeto, a Franco-Provençal island in the Daunian Mountains

Founded in the 13th century by Charles of Anjou to settle French soldiers, Faeto has preserved its language and traditions for over seven centuries. The patronal feast is the occasion where this identity is displayed most strongly, uniting the locals and the many emigrants who return to the village for the summer. Those visiting the village during these days will find a rare blend of popular faith, folklore, gastronomy, and mountain landscapes, amidst the beech and oak forests of the Daunian Sub-Apennines.