Beautiful Feast of Spelonga

Every three years for the entire month of August, Spelonga (a hamlet in the municipality of Arquata del Tronto) hosts the "Festa Bella," an event that commemorates the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571, in which some Spelongans also took part, and to celebrate the victory they took a banner from a Turkish ship. On the occasion of the festivities, the silhouette of a galley-an ancient warship-is made by the inhabitants, and a 25-30-meter-long log is hoisted in the center of the square on which a reproduction of the historic Turkish ensign towers, which hangs until the first Sunday in October. The festivities begin in the nearby Bosco del Farsetto, where a group of woodcutters work on the log, while the next stage involves a large group of villagers who, using an iron tool ("lu crucche") and divided into groups, transport the log to the square of Spelonga and then raise it using only ropes as tie-rods and ladders for support. In the days that follow, the entire hamlet is decorated with fir wood elements that help reinforce the festive atmosphere that enlivens the village on this occasion.