Perbacco che Vicoli

Christmas comes early to Francavilla Fontana

While other cities wait for December, Francavilla Fontana (Brindisi province, Apulia) lights up the Christmas spirit with Perbacco che Vicoli, an event that brings festive cheer to the alleys of the historic center as early as late November. The heart of the event is the dramatic backdrop of Castello Imperiali, at the foot of which stretches a street dedicated to Christmas markets: stalls filled with ornaments, tree decorations, and handcrafted goods, which organizers claim were among the first Christmas markets of their kind in Italy for this time of year.

Markets, street performers, and artificial snow

Throughout the event, the pedestrian streets of the village—including via Municipio, via Chiariste, via Dante Alighieri, via Chiesa Matrice, piazza Giovanni XXIII, and piazza Umberto I—come alive with street performers, Christmas street bands, and live music, featuring bagpipers and musicians from the Paisiello Conservatory of Taranto. Artificial snow falls within the castle grounds, while a vintage carousel and a jovial Santa Claus make the festival perfect for families and children.

The flavors of Apulia

Food and wine take center stage with workshops and tastings of typical Apulian products and traditional Christmas sweets: pettole, panzerotti, cazzatedde cegliesi, bombette di Martina Franca, provolone impiccato, tronere di Turi, chocolates from Noci, cured meats, porchetta, and new wines. A culinary journey that accompanies visitors along the entire market route.

A traveling event

Perbacco che Vicoli was born as a traveling event: starting in Martina Franca, it visited Taranto before arriving in Francavilla Fontana, with the goal of moving to new cities across the Apulian region each time. For this reason, its return to the same location is never guaranteed from one year to the next. Admission to the event, organized by the Events & Promotion Association with the support of the Municipality of Francavilla Fontana, has always been completely free.