27/08/2026
Knights on horseback, red cassocks, plume-topped hats and a procession that has wound through the streets of Ostuni every year since 1657!
The Cavalcata di Sant’Oronzo is one of Puglia’s most extraordinary festivals. Three days of ceremony held each August in honour of Sant’Oronzo, the city’s patron saint, a Roman convert to Christianity martyred under Nero, who is credited with saving Ostuni from the plague that swept through the region in the 17th century. The gratitude of an entire city, carried forward through nearly four centuries of tradition.
The procession is something to witness. Horses draped in intricately embroidered red shawls. The ornate silver statue of the saint carried through the white city. Marching bands, elaborate light installations, music and the kind of food that only comes with a proper southern Italian festa.
This year the Cavalcata ran 25, 26 and 27 August. If you were staying with us at Paragon 700, you were in exactly the right place to experience it.
📍 Ostuni, Puglia
🔗 paragon700.com
