Fuochi Allavorati

Fuochi Allavorati is a religious and folkloric event that takes place in Luogosano every year on 7 December, the eve of the celebrations in honour of the Immaculate Conception.

This tradition has pre-Christian origins, when, in honour of the pagan gods, pieces of wood, as well as laurel branches, were burnt. A documentary about this feast made in 2015, however, explains its connection to the Christian religion: "it is 8 December 1854, an extremely important date for the Catholic Church. Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in the apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus". While waiting for this news, the community, gathered together, decided to "light a fire in honour of the Virgin Mary to keep warm from the cold, thus giving rise to the Feast of the Fuochi Allavorati".

During this feast, several bonfires are lit in different parts of the town and, according to some, the term "allavorati" (laboured) refers to how the bonfires are made, but there are no documents to prove this. The term, however, seems to have entered the common language in the last forty years, translated and borrowed from the original meaning that defined the special devices used to set off fireworks, in a different way from how we know pyrotechnics today, during religious celebrations.

During the Fuochi Allavorati, moments of prayer are mixed and interspersed with moments of play and recreation, dancing and singing around the bonfires, warmed by the inevitable local wine and traditional food.