BARI CUSTOMS
AND TRADITIONS
The Carnival of Putignano is one
“PIZZICA SALENTINA”
of the longest. In fact it begins
on the 26th of December with
Pizzica is a popular Italian folk
dance, originally derived from
Salentine tarantella.
the ceremony of the exchange of
the candles. Here people offer a
candle to the church to ask for
forgiveness of the sins commit
ted during Carnival. It continues
in the evening with the “
St. Nicholas
propaggini”."It consists in the
recitation of verses rhyming in
the local dialect.
The carnival itself typically starts
three Sundays before Ash
Wednesday, more or less every
Sunday it shows a parade of
papier-mâché floats representing the world of politics, culture
or society. It concludes on Fat
Tuesday, with an evening parade and the celebration of the
funeral of Carnival , represented
as a pig. At the end of the funeral a great feast takes place
and you can eat pasta, meat
and other delicacies. The mask
of Putignano is Farinella.
Is one of the most venerated
saints in the Christian world. He
is known for some miracles N.
was born in Patara, in Turkey,
in 270, when the message of
Jesus began to spread, although the Christians were often persecuted for their faith by
the Roman Emperors. N. was
born into a Christian family
When the Emperor Constantine
allowed Christians to practice
their faith freely, N. became
Bishop of Myra. He died in 352
an 62 sailors from Bari took his
body and transported it in their
city. The population of Bari triumphantlywelcomed the relics,
which are still preserved in a
crypt, over which St Nicholas’
Church was erected in honor of
the saint.
The first written source, that is
known today, dates back to April
1797 and it refers to the “Dance
Party” that the nobility of Tarentum offered to the king Ferdinand
of Borbone in occasion of his
diplomatic visit to the city.
The Pizzica, as well as being
played in moments of celebration
of singular family groups or of
entire local communities, was the
main accompaniment of the rite
of tarantism. It was performed by
orchestras composed of various
instruments, including tambourine and violin for their rhythmic
and melodic characteristics. This
dance had the aim to heal
“tarantate” women from their illness.
The “Tarantola Party” is celebrated in Salento. Since 1998, in
summer, there is the “Notte
della Taranta” consisting of a
whole night where many famous
musicians alternate their performances with pizzica orchestras.The pizzica is danced
while embracing a partner. It
does not necessarily involve
two individuals of opposite
sexes, Nowadays It has become rare to see two men
dancing an entire pizzica. An
exception can still be found in
the town of Ostuni, where one
of the two men who dance
jokingly pretends to be a
woman.
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