Pupe della Quarantana Conversano 2026

The Pro Loco Conversano Tourist Association, a promoter of the territory and its traditions, has revived an ancient local custom in Conversano for several years now, that of the Pupe della Quarantana. References to this tradition can be found in the writings of Architect Sante Simone, who recounts in “The Memories of My Childhood - The Religious Festivals of Conversano” the practice of “stretching a thread from the windows in front of two houses in the streets, and suspending seven small dolls with doughnuts, and the one in the middle with the spindle, the hand distaff, and all the other tools for spinning and weaving. This was called Quarantana; every seven days, one doll was removed…”.

The seven Pupe della Quarantana, handcrafted, represent in tradition the seven weeks leading up to Easter; each Sunday, only one doll would be dropped following a specific order, starting with the more colorful ones placed on the sides, eventually reaching the white one, symbolizing the Purity of Easter. Beginning on February 22, at sunset, one Pupa will descend every Sunday. At the end of the event, scheduled for Sunday, April 5, the Pro Loco Association will distribute candies and chocolates to celebrate Easter together. The event is sponsored by the Municipality of Conversano and the Unpli Regional Committee of Puglia.

A new feature for 2026 is the exhibition of the seven Pupe in the Triggianello district as well, where children and the community will also be able to count the seven Sundays from Lent to Easter. The goal of the Pro Loco is to connect the past and the present to the future, drawing younger generations closer to the healthy traditions of their city, while remembering that the Union of Pro Loco of Italy (UNPLI) has received important recognition from UNESCO as a promoter and guarantor of the safeguarding and protection of Italian intangible cultural heritage. Furthermore, from December 2024, Unpli, in collaboration with ICPI and ANCI under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture, will launch the new project CULTURAL ROOTS, the first census of intangible heritage that enables the safeguarding of the wealth of the diverse heritage of Italian municipalities; this project will also include the Pupe della Quarantana of Conversano.
Web: proloco-conversano.blogspot...