Historical Characters:

The historical figures of this event are the knights wearing their elegant costumes: white trousers, red trimmed jackets trimmed with laces, red cummerbund, red capes trimmed with laces and red hoods ending with a knot of the same colour.

Event History:

The origins of the cavalcade were uncertain until few years ago. The first historically documented edition dates back to 26 August 1657. The year before, the plague invaded several Italian regions, sparing Salento – as believed by people – by intercession of its patron, St.Oronzo.

Patron Saint History:

St. Oronzo was a pagan citizen of Lecce born two years after Christ’s birth. The first noticeable miracle happened when Giusto (another saint) and Oronzo, while preaching ,were reported by pagan priests to the Roman praetor, who ordered them to offer incense to Jupiter at the temple of the god. Oronzo and Giusto opposed this order and professed their faith. As a result of it, the statue of Jupiter smashed into pieces and from its fragments came out a devil announcing that the God of Christians was the true God. At that point, the praetor condemned Oronzo and Giusto to flagellation and imprisoned them. Afterwards, other miraculous facts persuaded the praetor not to persecute the two martyrs. Also Nero, a well known persecutor of Christians, sent a minister to imprison Oronzo, threatening to kill him if they did not abandon Christianity. They refused and after several episodes they were set free again and went on preaching in Salento and Japigia, performing miracles. Then, they were imprisoned by Nero’s minister on 26 August to be killed. During their martyrdom, a big cross of light appeared above Lecce. The persecutors beheaded first Giusto and, then, Oronzo. According to the legend, flowers sprouted from the martyrs’ blood dripped onto the grass and two haloes took shape on the two martyrs’ heads, as a symbol of their holiness. Every 26 August, Lecce celebrates its Protectors and Bishops.