The Capture of Martino the Bear

A February ritual in the heart of Irpinia

The Capture of Martino the Bear is one of the most recognizable traditions of Chiusano di San Domenico, a small town of just over two thousand inhabitants perched at an altitude of 710 meters at the foot of Mount Tuoro, in the province of Avellino, in the heart of Irpinia and inland Campania. The ritual is renewed every February 2nd, the day of Candlemas, transforming the uphill streets of the historic center into an open-air theater where folklore, folk music, and local satire intertwine in a historical-folkloric evocation considered unique in Southern Italy.

The legend of the bear and Candlemas

The festival stems from a legend passed down orally from generation to generation. On February 2nd, the bear leaves its den to check the weather: if the day is sunny, the animal stays out, but if the weather is bad, it goes back to sleep, and winter will last longer. To exorcise the cold season, twelve hunters—one for each month of the year—go in search of the bear to flush it out and capture it, thus hoping for the arrival of spring and a bountiful harvest. The roots of the ritual likely lie in the ancient cults of the Italic populations of the central Apennines, in a territory that was once home to the brown bear; with Christianization, the ceremony gradually merged with the religious feast of Candlemas, taking on the symbolic value of the transition from one season to the next. This is well captured by the local proverb that accompanies the day: «Vierno rinto, estate fore» (Winter inside, summer outside).

How the capture takes place

The day begins in the afternoon, when the group of hunters heads toward the mountains, led by two central figures: the dirigente (leader) and the segretario (secretary). Once the den is located, the bear is awakened and flushed out: a scenic escape follows, with a chase and capture. Once chained—using strictly theatrical, non-punitive chains—Martino is led down to the village, and the itinerant procession begins along the streets of Chiusano, accompanied by folk music, bells, and tarantellas. The procession stops in front of houses, where families offer sweets, cured meats, and liqueurs to the participants: a gesture of hospitality that is as much a part of the ritual as the capture itself.

The grand finale in the square

The climax takes place in the main square. Here, the bear is "tamed" and made to perform before the crowd, rewarded with various culinary treats that trigger the audience's hilarity. At the same time, the leader takes the floor to review, with sarcasm and irony, the events of the past year and the happenings of the village: a true collective satire, where no one is truly safe from the mockery. The festival ends with stories, thanks, and dancing.

The characters

• Martino, the bear: a man disguised in a costume that, in the modern version, is light-colored.
• The twelve hunters: they represent the twelve months of the year and lead the capture.
• The twelve junior hunters: the village children who join the adults, ensuring the tradition is passed on to new generations.
• The leader: the solemn voice and organizer of the day, author of the final satirical speech.
• The secretary: an ironic and sharp figure, the comic foil to the leader.

A saved tradition

The first photographic evidence of the Capture of the Bear dates back to the 1980s and 1990s, but the oral memory of the ritual is much older. In recent years, the Pro Loco «Piero De Napoli», with the patronage of the Municipality of Chiusano di San Domenico, has resumed and relaunched the event, which has gained visibility beyond provincial borders and attracted the attention of national television. For the town, it is not just a festival: it is a piece of collective identity that brings together emigrants, families, and curious visitors every year.

Why it's worth the trip

Those who arrive in Chiusano on February 2nd will not find a show packaged for tourists, but a community putting itself on stage. It is an opportunity to discover an Irpinian village made of springs and dense chestnut groves, to listen to live Campanian folk music and language, and to understand, in a few hours of procession, how thin the line is in these towns between agrarian ritual, religious feast, and street theater.