Rutigliano Whistle Festival

Photo by:  Svetlana Kousmenko

The city of Rutigliano, located southwest of Bari, held its 23rd annual ceramic whistle festival in mid-January. The key event of this festival is a national competition for most attractive whistle. This year's theme was "Whistles and Italian Unification" because 2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the formation of the republic of Italy. Groups of whistle-makers from all over the country participated in the competition.

Alongside the competition, there is a large street fair set up in the town's historic centre where local whistle-makers hawk their wares. Traditional (and not so traditional) foods are sold on the street and local folk music can be heard.

Patron Saint's Festival

All types and sizes of boats accompany the Madonna around and around the port in Molfetta's patron saint's festival.
Rowboats

Motorboats

Boats in uniform

And some somewhat undressed!

It's That Time of Year Again

The Saint Conrad/Madonna of the Martyrs patron saint's festival is held every year from September 6-9. It is always a mix of the sacred and the profane, so I thought I'd show you a bit of both this year.

The Madonna is carried in a procession (top photo) from her church to the port, where she is greeted by enthusiastic crowds.

Some faces in the crowd...

Once she arrives at the port, she is loaded onto the middle of three fishing boats which have been tied together for the occasion. In the photo below, the boats are awaiting her arrival.

She is then escorted around the port for a few hours by anyone and everyone with a more or less seaworthy vessel. More on that tomorrow...

Corato Old Town Festival

Corato is a small city located inland from Molfetta. On Saturday and Sunday, they held their annual street festival. Free performances of music, theater, puppet shows, acrobats and more were held all evening and into the night at seven different sites throughout the historic center of town. Food and wine tasting booths were also available.

These photos feature Silvano Vallone, a juggler with the Valona Blues troupe. He juggled knives and burning torches, sometimes while riding a unicycle. He involved the audience and put on an enjoyable show.

Mediterranean Arrhythmia

Molfetta was the site of the Aritimia Mediterranea Sounds of Peace Music and Mural Painting Festival on September 11 and 12. It was a two-day event featuring concerts and a "writing contest," which was actually a spray-painting mural contest. The photos I've taken are of the works of art on an abandoned wall along the narrow road leading into the city swimming pool...which is closed this year...but that's another story for another post...

Check out the winners in the mural painting competition at this link!