Perdonanza of the Holy Physician Saints Cosmas and Damian

The Perdonanza, the spiritual heart of Oria

In the town of Oria, in the province of Brindisi, the Perdonanza of the Holy Physician Saints Cosmas and Damian is much more than a patronal feast: it is a defining event that unites the entire Oria community around its patron saints. Devotion to the Physician Saints has its roots in the Byzantine period, when the cult of the two martyr brothers—venerated alongside Anthimus, Leontius, and Euprepius—arrived from the Christian East to this corner of Salento.

Cosmas and Damian are remembered as Anargyroi, meaning "without silver": physicians who treated the sick without asking for any payment. Martyred during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian, they have been invoked for centuries as protectors of the sick and patrons of doctors, and in Oria, their feast is celebrated with extraordinary popular participation.

Why it is called Perdonanza

The recurrence falls on the fifth Thursday after Easter, close to the Solemnity of the Ascension. Tradition tells that the cult gained strength when crusaders, returning to Brindisi, climbed up to venerate the ancient early medieval chapel nestled in the Mediterranean scrub to thank the Physician Saints, who were so well-known in the East. In the 18th century, once the new church of the Macchia was completed, the patronage of the Physician Saints was officially set for the fifth Thursday after Easter, giving the "Perdonanza" its stable form.

Two places, one single celebration

The celebration revolves around two poles. On one side, the Basilica Cathedral of Oria, which welcomes the faithful for liturgies and the veneration of the statue during the days of the novena and the solemnity. On the other, the Sanctuary of San Cosimo alla Macchia, the destination of the final pilgrimage: nestled in the Oria countryside, it is one of the most important sanctuaries in Southern Italy and among the most visited in Puglia, guarding relics, ex-votos, and a long history of received graces.

Between the sacred and the popular

Alongside the liturgical moments—the solemn novena, the prayer vigil, the vespers, and the mass presided over by the Bishop—the Perdonanza retains all the vibrancy of a Salento folk festival:

• the procession of the statue of the Physician Saints through the main streets of the city;
• evening musical performances in Piazza Lorch, featuring bands and concerts;
• the fireworks display that lights up the sky over Oria;
• the illuminations, stalls, and fair that bring the historic center to life;
• the city pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of San Cosimo alla Macchia with the relics.

For those visiting Salento in spring, the Perdonanza of Oria is an authentic opportunity to discover one of the most deeply rooted religious traditions in the province of Brindisi, far from mass tourism circuits and in the midst of the life of a community that has guarded the memory of its Physician Saints for centuries.