Santa Cristina Feast and Fair

The most anticipated event of the Gallipoli summer

Every year, from July 23rd to 25th, Gallipoli pauses to pay tribute to its patron saint, Santa Cristina. It is the most important and deeply felt celebration of the summer in the Città Bella (Beautiful City) of Salento. For three days, the historic center, the old town, and the seafront are filled with lights, music, market stalls, and worshippers, in a profound blend of religious devotion, civic identity, and popular tradition that involves the entire community of the Municipality of Gallipoli, in the province of Lecce.

The origins: the 1867 vow

Devotion to Santa Cristina began in 1867, when the Gallipoli community attributed their protection from the terrible cholera epidemic that struck Salento to the saint. As a sign of gratitude, the feast in her honor was established. The papier-mâché statue of the Saint, the work of Lecce sculptor Achille De Lucrezi, has been kept ever since in the Church of Santa Maria della Purità, in the heart of the old town, and is the focal point around which the entire celebration revolves.

The three-day program

The feast combines religious rites and civic events. July 23rd, the eve, opens with a Eucharistic celebration and the lighting of the votive lamp, followed in the afternoon by the solemn procession of the statue through the city streets, organized by the Venerable Confraternity of Santa Maria della Purità and accompanied by the Santa Cecilia Band Concert. In the evening, the artistic illuminations are switched on along Corso Roma, and the squares come alive with concerts and shows.

July 24th, traditionally called "the day of the steddha", is the heart of the feast: in the morning, the band parades through the city, while in the afternoon, the historic Cuccagna a mare takes place in the picturesque Seno del Canneto, a competition recognized by the CONI where contestants challenge each other along a greasy pole suspended over the water. July 25th concludes the festivities with a thanksgiving mass and, in the evening, the grand fireworks display over the sea, one of the most anticipated moments for the locals.

The "steddha" and the Cuccagna a mare

Many traditions make this feast unique. The Cuccagna a mare, held in the crystal-clear waters of the gulf, is an ancient rite linked to the maritime culture of Gallipoli. Intertwined with this is the legend of the steddha: by ancient custom, on July 24th, many locals would avoid swimming in memory of a tragic drowning that occurred in the early 19th century. Between one rite and another, Corso Roma transforms into a long path of stalls, rides, and street food that keeps residents and tourists company until late at night.

Intangible Cultural Heritage of Puglia

In February 2026, the Santa Cristina Feast was inscribed in the Regional Inventory of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Puglia Region, pursuant to Article 2 of the 2003 UNESCO Convention, in the sector of religious celebrations and ritual festivities. A recognition that enshrines the identity value of a tradition capable of uniting, for over a century and a half, the faith of the Gallipoli community, the bond with the sea, and popular celebration.