The Feast of the Bruna in Matera

Every year since 1389 Matera has celebrated an ancient festival, the Festa della Bruna in honor of Maria Santissima della Bruna, the city's patron saint. On July 2 Matera wakes up at dawn with fireworks announcing the start of the Shepherds' Procession. A few hours later a group of Knights picks up the statues of the Madonna and Child from the cathedral, escorting them to the Church of the Annunziata. In the late afternoon, the sculpture of the Madonna is placed on the Triumphal Chariot and travels in procession through the streets of the historic center illuminated by festive illuminations. The chariot is a wonderful papier-mâché artifact painted with scenes from the Bible. At the end of the procession it is destroyed according to the traditional "Strazzo" to be rebuilt the next year. The celebration continues with concerts, theatrical performances and events to end with a magnificent fireworks display that illuminates the extraordinary landscape of the Sassi and the Murgia.