San Leonardo Fair

A tradition spanning over seventy years

The San Leonardo Fair is one of the most deeply rooted events in the life of Castrignano de' Greci, a small town in the Grecìa Salentina area in the province of Lecce, in the heart of the Apulian Salento. Established in 1949, the market fair takes place every year on the second Sunday of November near the rural chapel dedicated to the saint, along the road connecting Castrignano to Carpignano Salentino.

Like many autumn fairs in lower Salento, this event originated from the need to stock up on goods and provisions for the winter. Even today, it remains a powerful symbol of local identity, awaited with impatience by the community of Castrignano throughout the year.

The livestock fair and the market

The ancient heart of the event is the livestock fair: in the fields adjacent to the chapel, horses, mules, donkeys, oxen, and herds of sheep used to gather, in one of the rare agricultural exhibitions of this kind still active in Salento. Alongside the animals, the large market enlivens the streets with stalls from local merchants and those from neighboring towns: fabrics, footwear, tools, and all kinds of goods, along with sweets, food, and typical products of Salento gastronomy.

The 'cuccagna', symbol of the fair

The most anticipated moment is the cuccagna: the traditional greasy pole that teams of young people try to climb by any means necessary to reach the prizes hanging at the top. It is one of the few remaining greasy poles in all of Salento and has become a symbol of the fair, capable of attracting curious onlookers and families from all over Grecìa Salentina.

The religious dimension

The fair is intertwined with the feast in honor of San Leonardo: the day opens with mass celebrated at the rural chapel, followed by the procession with the statue of the saint, accompanied by a marching band through the streets to the church. The festivities traditionally conclude with a fireworks display.

An identity-defining event of Grecìa Salentina

Preserved and handed down for over seventy years, the San Leonardo Fair is much more than a market: it is a collective ritual that combines popular faith, peasant tradition, and village celebration. For the municipality of Castrignano de' Greci and the entire Grecìa Salentina area, it represents one of the most authentic autumn appointments, where the most genuine side of Salento returns to show itself among stalls, animals, sweets, and the unmissable greasy pole.