Saint Lucy Festival (Spring Perdonanza)
The patronal perdonanza of Erchie: a blend of faith, processions, and spectacle
About Saint Lucy Festival
A spring festival in the heart of Salento
The Saint Lucy Festival is the most important religious and popular event in Erchie, a small town in the province of Brindisi, Puglia, located in the Salento hinterland near the border with the Taranto area. Unlike the liturgical feast on December 13th, this spring celebration is linked to the so-called perdonanza, which traditionally falls on the second Thursday after Easter, meaning the date changes every year. It is the moment when the town unites around its patron saint, the protector of eyesight, invoked by generations of the faithful.
The perdonanza and the pilgrimage to the Sanctuary
The heart of the celebration is the Sanctuary of Saint Lucy, the destination of an ancient pilgrimage that attracts devotees not only from Erchie but from the entire diocese of Oria and neighboring Salento towns. Many make the journey on foot to fulfill a vow or ask for a grace: this is the essence of the perdonanza, a short penitential walk that unites the community in prayer. The spiritual program opens with a nine-day novena, marked each evening by the Rosary and Holy Mass with catechesis, and continues with a candlelight procession, the Rite of Light, and a solemn blessing with the Saint's relics.
Religious rites and procession
On the day of the festival, the town experiences its most intense moment with a solemn Eucharistic celebration presided over by the bishop and the traditional procession of the Saint Lucy statue through the streets of Erchie, accompanied by a brass band playing traditional Apulian symphonic marches. The streets fill with the faithful, festive lights, and market stalls, in an atmosphere that blends religious reflection with popular warmth.
The civic celebration
Alongside the devotional dimension, the Saint Lucy Festival offers a rich civic program that enlivens Piazza Umberto I, the town's main square. There is no shortage of major free concerts, performances by brass orchestras and traditional Salento music groups, along with the spectacular fireworks display in the Montearso district that brings the celebrations to a grand close. Between the sacred and the profane, the festival represents an essential identity-defining event for Erchie that welcomes the arrival of spring in Salento.
Saint Lucy Festival — edition 2026
Saint Lucy Festival 2026 in Erchie
The Saint Lucy perdonanza was celebrated in Erchie on Thursday, April 16, and Friday, April 17, 2026. The spiritual journey began on April 7 with the novena at the Sanctuary, animated each evening by the Rosary at 6:30 PM and Mass with catechesis at 7:30 PM, and continued on April 13 with the candlelight procession, the Rite of Light, and the solemn blessing with the Saint's relics, leading up to the solemn Vespers on April 15.
On Thursday, April 16, the day of the festival, the solemn Eucharistic celebration presided over by the Bishop of Oria, Monsignor Vincenzo Pisanello, was held at 6:00 PM, followed by the procession of the statue through the town streets, accompanied by the D. Nicolì band directed by Maestro Giuseppe Carrozzo. At 8:00 PM, in the Montearso district, the grand fireworks display took place; at 9:00 PM, in Piazza Umberto I, the concert by the Terra d'Otranto Wind Orchestra - City of Lecce was held. On Friday, April 17, the festival concluded with a concert by the Salento folk music group Terraròss.
Programme Saint Lucy Festival 2026
Religious Program
- April 7-15: Novena at the Sanctuary - 6:30 PM Rosary, 7:30 PM Mass with catechesis
- April 7: Opening Mass of the novena with litanies and relic
- April 13: Mass, candlelight procession, Rite of Light, and solemn blessing in the square
- April 15: Solemn Vespers and supplication to the patron saint
- April 16: Masses at 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM; 6:00 PM solemn Eucharistic celebration presided over by Bishop Monsignor Vincenzo Pisanello; procession with the statue animated by the D. Nicolì band (Maestro Giuseppe Carrozzo)
Civic Program
- April 16: Band concerts by the D. Nicolì band throughout the day; 8:00 PM (Montearso district) fireworks display; 9:00 PM (Piazza Umberto I) Terra d'Otranto Wind Orchestra - City of Lecce
- April 17: 9:00 PM (Piazza Umberto I) concert by the Salento folk music group Terraròss
Highlights Saint Lucy Festival 2026
- Solemn Eucharistic celebration with the Bishop of Oria, Monsignor Vincenzo Pisanello
- Procession of the Saint Lucy statue with the D. Nicolì band
- Fireworks display in the Montearso district
- Concert by the Terra d'Otranto Wind Orchestra - City of Lecce
- Salento folk music concert by Terraròss
Prices Saint Lucy Festival 2026
Practical information — Saint Lucy Festival
Location
The celebrations take place in Erchie (province of Brindisi), between the Sanctuary of Saint Lucy, the mother church, and Piazza Umberto I, the heart of the historic center. The fireworks display takes place in the Montearso district.
How to get there
Erchie can be reached by car via the SS7 ter and the provincial roads connecting Oria, Torre Santa Susanna, and Manduria. The nearest train stations are in Oria and Francavilla Fontana. Nearest airport: Brindisi-Casale.
Admission
All religious and civic events, including the concerts in the square, are free and open to the public.
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Where does it take place — Saint Lucy Festival
Santuario di Santa Lucia e Piazza Umberto I