Known as Fòcara (from the Latin focus, meaning ‘fire’) in the Salento dialect of Southern Italy, the Fires of Saint Anthony in Novoli is a colossal bonfire lit annually in honor of Saint Anthony the Abbot, patron saint of animals. In this section of the Past Present Archive, we publish an ethnographic account originally documented in 1913 by scholar Francesco D’Elia for Apulia, a cultural and region-focused journal that ceased publication at the onset of World War I. Reaching up to 25 metres in height, the fòcara is described by D’Elia as a colossal woodpile, serving as a catalyst between the image of the Saint and a rich ritual that includes ceremonial gunshots, processions, communal gatherings and wine. The tradition’s core form remains vibrant and widely celebrated to this day. This translation is an adapted and abridged version of D’Elia’s essay; the original’s extensive philological footnotes on the Salentine dialect have been omitted. For the full annotated text, refer to the Italian version.
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