Oria, the medieval city: sentinel between two seas

by Anna Campanella *

Nestling on the top layer of the Murge (central area of the region) (166m above the sea level), like a guard between the two seas of the Salento peninsula, the Adriatic and Ionian Sea, the town appears to visitors (from any direction you arrive) in a dominant position in the path of old roman road Appia. Its incomparable landscape, made up of towers, domes and houses perched on hills, immediately reveals its ancient origin and the charm of those places described in important pages of history.

The origin of the city can be found in the 11th century witnessed by literary and archaeological sources. The Cretans of Minos, returning from Camico (town near Agrigento) who they had attempted to conquer, shipwrecked on the Ionian coast and, not being able to return, founded Hyria, as Herodotus of Halicarnassus testifies. The name of the city has undergone various phonetic changes over time due to variants of the people who lived there. The Greek word "Hyria" became "Orra" for the Messapics, while the historian Strabone called the city "Ouria" and then become "Uriah", "Iria", in the Middle Age and was referred to as "Oiria and "Orea".

Folklore and Traditions

The traditions of Oria are firmly rooted in its past, with its ancient history and its own rituals and customs, based on civic and religious events. Visits from emperors and queens, pagan rituals that survived to Christianity, cults of saints coming from Oriental lands, popular beliefs based on magic and religion, all these are some of the components of the most important traditions from Oria. The first of these traditions is related to the Easter rites. The first Thursday of March, Christ is come down (“scenni Cristu” in dialect”).

Each week, every Thursday afternoon, hundreds of people gather in the Castle and Cathedral Square waiting for the “scinnuta” (“meaning the procession with statue of Christ coming down from the hill). A colourful crowd, silent like enchanted, when the eighteenth century-white coffin with the statue of Christ, covered by a canopy with flowers, appears on the door of the convent of St. Benedict. Christ begins to "come down" (its steepest descent path explains the expression) to the Basilica to remain exposed until Friday. Few hundred meters to go, but the suggestion of places, the silence, broken only by the sounds of the deaf “trenuli” (wooden gadgets that produce noise through a toothed mechanisms), manoeuvred deftly and rhythmically by children and, create a total emotional and conscious involvement which lasts until the coffin of Christ, through the ever-windy Cathedral Square, disappears into the door of the Basilica.

After sunset on Holy Thursday, the pilgrimage to the seven churches of Oria begins, in order to visit the graves (the altars represents the death of Christ, sumptuously decorated with symbolic dish of corn and beautifully illuminated) where you can still listen to the classic songs of old people.

Meanwhile ovens and bakeries have much to do preparing the cakes for Easter: the traditional Easter cake in the shape of a lamb ("Lu picurieddu") that the girls give to their boyfriend (“lu zitu”) and “li scarpetti” (traditional biscuits) for the Sunday lunch, frise and bread with eggs inside are prepared for the outdoor trip on Easter Monday (“frise and puddichi cu I'ovu per l’assuta ti pascaredda”). In springtime another great tradition of the Church of Oria starts: which is Le Perdonanze (“the Forgiveness”). The ancient tradition of the pilgrimage to obtain indulgences is linked to the Shrine of St. Cosimo alla Macchia, which venerates the saints Doctors Cosma and Damiano. After visiting the sanctuary, equipped with the traditional ribbons (colourful tapes around the arm or wrist) everybody goes back into the city to attend the celebration. The Basilica, where the sacred relics are on display, is crowded with the faithful fellows who compete for the honour of carrying on their shoulder the statues of the Saints. The statues of the 5 martyrs’ brothers, Cosmas, Damiano, Antimo, Eupreprio and Leonzio, are accompanied by that statue of S. Barsanofio Abate, who was also great miracle worker and patron of the city.

The month of August is characterised by the Torneo dei Rioni (“Tournament of the Districts”), the preparation of which began in the winter months, it intensifies in the spring to explode on the second Saturday and Sunday in August. The four districts of the city, Castle, Judea, Lama and St. Basil, work all year around to show its strength later in the selection of athletes, the beauty of the ladies and in the effectiveness of the decorations. The streets are decorated in flags and banners with the colours of each quarter. Piazza Manfredi (the main square) is the background of the imperial throne, the field of the tournament became an encampment of knights ready to joust, and the whole town moves frantically while waiting for event. On Saturday afternoon, the medieval parade takes place, four hundred characters bring to life the historical moments of Frederick II with a special atmosphere so charged with medieval charm that seems to really take you back in time. Finally Sunday afternoon arrives and even in the early hours, thousands of tourists go to the medieval camp looking forward to the beginning of the races.

The great Feast of the Patron St. Barsanofio Abbate (29, 30 August) closes the summer season with bands that play music, lights and spectacular fireworks.

The Svevo Castle

The Svevo Castle, defensively outstanding, was an unconquerable fortress, the cornerstone of the fortifications in Salento, and during its nine centuries of life, became the residence of Kings, Princes and knights crusaders, Marquis and Barons. Among the others, Maria d'Enghien, and Ladislaus, King of Naples, Isabella of Chiaromonte, Ferrante of Aragon and Alfonso of Aragon lived there, in more recent times, the King of Italy, the Princes of House of Savoy and Princess Margaret of England had their residence here as well. The Castle has seen renowned visitors as the Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany, the Bourget, Cardinal Tisserant, etc.

Perhaps designed by the same Frederick II in 1225, when he lived in Oria to wait for his bride, Jolanda of Jerusalem, the castle was built in 1227, and the work was completed in 1233. It has a vaguely triangular shape with the summit aiming at North and the basis at South. As its side walls, rising on very steep slopes, soon proved to be an excellent natural defence, the southern side needed more of a massive upgrade to the new ones cylindrical towers, which was a ditch with drawbridge on.

During foggy days, however, when the clouds hang low and threatening on the manor, the story is cloaked in a legend that tells that during the construction of city or of the castle according to other versions, the walls plunged continuously, so they consulted the oracle which issued a "verdict", in order not to have the walls crumble they needed the blood of an innocent, therefore a girl was kidnapped and buried or sacrificed on the foundation stones of the walls, so that no longer collapsed. When the mother of the maiden sacrificed discovered the death of her daughter she swore against Oria screaming: "Burn Oria, like my heart in despair is burning now." And so the words of the old dirge are returning to mind: "A Oria fumosa, ccitera 'na carosa, ca pi quant'era piccinna, si la mintera an'poscia" (In the smoky Oria, a little pretty girl was killed, she was so small that she was hidden in their pocket!). And watching from afar its misty view, clearly for this reason, the people from Salento stated: "Oria fuma, Francaidda uarda and Manduria faci la uardia" (Oria smokes, Francavilla is watching and Manduria is the sentinel).

For more information visit the official website http://www.comune.oria.br.it/

* All images belongs to the author unless otherwise stated

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