Last updated on January 11, 2024
Remember the psychedelic festival of lights we went to in Italy last year? Well, it was so visually stunning that it demanded to be put on film, so that’s exactly what we did.
We hope you like it! And the credit most certainly goes to Steve (I mainly just had to smile, spin, and guard the camera from being knocked during that awesome timelapse). Let us know what you think.
Notte delle Luci, a film for Must Love Festivals
The story of Notte delle Luci
Here begins the story of Notte delle Luci, an Italian festival of lights.
Once upon a time, in the year 1600, there was a small town that was saved from the plague. The town was called Scorrano and its saviour was Santa Domenica.
Santa Domenica became the town’s patron saint and each year, on her feast day of the 5th July, the townsfolk lit a candle to show their gratitude.
Over time the tradition grew. Candles became oil lamps, lamps became bulbs, and people started to attach them to wooden arches.
The arches morphed and multiplied into evermore elaborate shapes of bigger and bigger size. They were called luminarie.
Years passed and three companies held on to the luminous legacy, making it famous throughout the land.
People travelled from far and wide for the 5-day festival of lights – the Notte delle Luci.
They enjoyed the local cuisine and culture, the snacks of freshest taste, but of course the main act was the lights.
And what a show it was.
Pink Floyd blared and the lights danced to its thunder, before prancing to Frank Sinatra.
People oohed and ahhed at the extraordinary performance of lights, choreographed expertly to its tunes.
The shows cycled through the night, the people never tiring of their sight, always eager for another view.
The town glowed in devotion.
On some days the skies were illuminated too in a spectacular display of pyrotechnics.
…but the lights always stole the show.
Welcome to the most psychedelic festival in Italy. The word you’ll find is ‘Wow”.
Useful information about Notte delle Luci
Notte delle Luci takes place every year in a small town named Scorrano in Italy’s Puglia region. The festival revolves around the town’s Patron Saint, Santa Domenica. It began with people placing candles in their windows until it escalated over the years to become the mega psychedelic festival it is today.
Artists spend the year crafting their designs, which light up in a choreographed musical show. Structures vary from huge crosses to pyramids, and all are lit up in a multicoloured dance-off. It’s an incredible spectacle, and people from all over Italy, and indeed the world, come to visit. Some of the structures also go on tour and are featured in other festivals around the world.
Scorrano is a little town, but it’s near to lots of other sights in Puglia so you can make a holiday of it. Places we recommend visiting include Lecce, Galipoli, and Otranto.
It is around two hour’s drive from Bari airport and one hour 30 minutes from Brindisi, which are both served by standard and budget airlines.
There are only a couple of accommodation options in town, including the charming B&B Li Curti where we stayed.
We hired a car while there, which was a great way to get around. I think it’d be quite tricky if relying on public transport, especially as there are no train to Scorrano. Hiring a car also grants you the freedom to create your own timetable.
Aside from the festival, there is little else to see and do in Scorrano, so another option would be to base yourself in a different town and travel in for the festival. For example, you could stay in the baroque city of Lecce (45 minutes away).
Another place to visit would be the capital, Bari, which has a bustling cultural scene. You can even get a ferry from there to Montenegro if you want to continue your trip around Europe.
Read more about Notte delle Luci and things to do in Puglia in our earlier posts. We were at the festival with fellow bloggers Beers and Beans who wrote about it on their blog too.
We visited Puglia as part of Must Love Festivals.
This post and our visit to Notte delle Luci was part of the Must Love Festivals project, which we introduced here.