San Domenico covered with snakes © Creative Commons / Rubber Slippers

 

Cocullo is a bit of a backwater, largely neglected by visitors except for one day in the year - the Festa di San Domenico Abate. On this day, this humble hill town hosts an invasion of film crews, street vendors, snake charmers and curious visitors drawn from all over Italy. It may have had something to do with fertility in ancient times, but the festival has come to be symbolised over the centuries by snakes. Saint Dominic, the patron saint of Cocullo, allegedly purged the fields of the slithery menace back in the 11th century and in a show of eternal gratitude, the townsfolk drape his effigy in a writhing mass of the creatures (non venomous) and carry it through the streets. There are plenty of sideshows and popular entertainments to keep the crowd amused while mass from the parish church is played over loudspeakers to the assembled throng.

Times
All day.