Atri – La Notte dei Faugni

Atri holds an all-night spectacular fire rite celebration on the 7th December, known as La Notte dei Faugni.  This is an ancient, agricultural tradition, the “Fauni Ignis”, the fires of Fauno, when the city streets become “rivers of fire”, and celebrate the ancient and traditional custom of lighting fires during the period preceding the winter solstice to defeat the winter frost and attract the God Faunus and the sun back.

This pagan rite, these fires of attraction and purification across Abruzzo, were later adopted by Christianity and are also used as a means to celebrate Santa Barbara and Santa Lucia across the region.

On the night of the 7th of December, the townsfolk of Atri light a large bonfire in Piazza Duomo and then veer between concerts, wine, card games, singing and more wine.  Just before dawn on the 8th of December, hundreds of people arrive in Piazza Duomo with their faugno (torches made of reeds) and light them.  If a faugno goes out, you have to knock it on the ground to remove the burnt part; the procession called the Marisa stops, and your neighbour re-lights it for you.

At 06.00, a mass is celebrated in the Church of Sant’Agostino for the Immaculate Conception.