Santa Marina and Sant'Elia Feast and Fair

The patronal feasts of Ruggiano

In the heart of Lower Salento, just a stone's throw from Santa Maria di Leuca, the small village of Ruggiano—barely a kilometer from the center of Salve (Province of Lecce)—experiences its most intense moment every summer with the feasts in honor of Santa Marina and Sant'Elia the Prophet, the village's patron saint. From July 16 to 20, the narrow streets and the large Piazza Sant'Elia transform into an open-air stage where devotion blends with Apulian popular festivities.

Santa Marina and the 'zigaredde' ritual

The cult of Santa Marina is linked to the Sanctuary located on the western outskirts of Ruggiano, a medieval-origin church expanded in 1648, featuring a characteristic bipartite facade with two portals. For centuries, pilgrims suffering from jaundice have come here for an ancient healing ritual: after reciting traditional verses at the arch, they purchase zigaredde, thin colored ribbons to rub against the wooden statue of the Saint as a sign of protection. A gesture that is still renewed today, amidst the stalls set up in the Sanctuary square.

A program between the sacred and the profane

The festival opens on the eve with a solemn procession that, starting from the small church of Santa Marina on the edge of the village, accompanies the Saint's statue through the streets of Ruggiano to the traditional blessing of the children on the churchyard. Liturgical celebrations are accompanied by secular evenings: sparkling illuminations, markets, food stands offering the flavors of Salento, and, above all, brass band concerts by renowned Apulian ensembles, an authentic musical heritage of Southern Italy.

Sant'Elia and the Salento pizzica

On July 20, the community celebrates Sant'Elia the Prophet, protector of the sky, aviators, and invoked against storms, whose church is located in the historic center of the village. The evening is traditionally dedicated to pizzica: the overwhelming music of the Salento taranta enlivens Piazza Sant'Elia until late at night, drawing residents and visitors into a collective dance that has become an identity symbol of all of Puglia. Between faith, tradition, and rhythm, the Ruggiano feasts remain one of the most authentic events of the summer in the Capo di Leuca area.