St. Domenico Illuminations

The St. Domenico Illumination is an ancient tradition of the city of Praiano, near Salerno, along the Amalfi Coast, and it is celebrated every year from August 1st till August 4th, St. Domenico's very day. Here there is the fascinating and suggestive tradition, in which all the Praiano citizens take part, to decorate the terraces, the windows, the small streets and the house domes with some unusual and spellbound wax illuminations. Even more suggestive is the St. Gennaro square decoration, where every evening about three thousand candles are lighted.

Formerly the torches were created also with tin cans, torn, oil, rancid lard and oil and great bonfires were also realized in the gardens.
Such a devotion is handed down since 1606 and it has a precise meaning: St. Domenico's mother, before giving birth, dreamt a dog with a torch in its mouth which set on fire the World, meaning that the baby would have brought all over the world the God Word.

Also this year the magic of the St. Domenico Illumination recurs from July 31st till August 4th 2015. The 2015 edition is particularly rich of appointments.

On July 31st 2015 the COMPAGNIA DEI FOLLI will come back to offer an unique and exciting opening show with acrobats and artists of the fire. During the following evenings this company will perform with fire and flames, while on the walls of the Church of St. Gennaro a Video Mapping drawn by Paolo Buroni involving and interacting with all the square will be shown.

For the closing show on August 4th, the great technology video mapping will play with the architecture of the church and with the magistral unique and original show of pyrotechnic fires and music conceived and directed by Telesforo Morsani.

Here is the detailed programme:

Thursday 30th July 2015 from 9.30pm
AWAITING THE LUMINARIA
From Locality MURICIELLO, passing along via Umberto I to Piazzetta Moressa.
KASAI, restaurant M' AMA, and LA MORESSA Italian Bistrot invite you to sample local dishes especially prepared for the 2015 Luminaria.
Along the walk a performance of light, sound, colour, music and fire, performed by the duo “SPIRAL FIRE” will present the Antica Plagianum in a different light.

Friday 31st July 2015
Piazza San Gennaro 9.30pm
THE DREAM
The “COMPAGNIA DEI FOLLI” returns to offer us a spectacular performance in which Fire is the protagonist.... flame, fire, fireworks and acrobatics.

Saturday 1st August 2015
Piazza San Gennaro 9.30pm
OPENING NIGHT OF THE LUMINARIA DI SAN DOMENICO
The sounds of the bells of the Convent of Santa Maria a Castro and the church of San Gennaro, together with the choreography of the “RAGAZZI DELLA LUMINARIA” will open the 2015 Luminaria and light the thousands of candles decorating the piazza. New this year, 3d video mapping based on the architecture
of the church, and the fireworks of “maestro” TELESFORO MORSANI.
During the evening the duo “SPIRAL FIRE” will entertain with shows of fire and flame.
NIGHT TRAIL SAN DOMENICO
Starting from Piazza San Luca at 7.45pm, a hike along the trails of Marina di Praia, vallone Praia,
Colle Serra, Cerasulo, via Pistiello, Constantinopoli, to arrive at the Convento of San Domenico, high above Praiano. From here there will a breathtaking view of the Piazza di San Gennaro, decorated with thousands of glittering candles and the open spectacular of the Luminaria. The path along via Croce will be lit with candles.

Sunday 2nd August 2015
Piazza San Gennaro 9.30pm
SECOND NIGHT OF THE LUMINARIA DI SAN DOMENICO.
As the bells of the Convent of Santa Maria a Castro and the church of San Gennaro ring out, the Piazza di San Gennaro will once again be decorated with thousands of glittering candles. 3D video mapping combined with the games of fireworks of “maestro” TELESFORO MORSANI, and, throughout the
evening, performances of fire and flame from the duo “SPIRAL FIRE”.

Sunday 2nd August 2015
at 9.30pm Via Capovettica / Costantinopoli
TASTING OF TYPICAL PLATES AND DISHES.
Wander through the streets of Capo Vettica and sample local foods and dishes, proudly offered by the residents of Capo Vettica and Constantinopoli.

Monday 3rd August 2015
Piazza San Gennaro 21.30 (9.30pm)
THIRD NIGHT OF THE LUMINARIA DI SAN DOMENICO
3D video mapping, games of fireworks from “maestro” TELESFORO MORSANI, performances of flame and fire by “SPIRAL DUO”, the sounds of the bells of Santa Maria a Castro and the church of San Gennaro will
bring to life Piazza San Gennaro, spectacularly decorated with thousands of candles.
at 9.30pm Via Masa / Rezzola
TASTING OF TYPICAL PLATES AND DISHES.
Along the streets of rioni Masa-Rezzola 21.30 (9.30pm)
Wander through the streets of Masa-Rezzola and sample local foods and dishes, proudly offered by the residents of rioni Masa-Rezzola.

Tuesday 4th August 2015
FESTA DI SAN DOMENICO
Convent of Santa Maria a Castro 6am: Procession with the statue of Saint Domenic departing from via Croce.
7am: Mass.
8am: High Mass following the arrival of the procession onto the piazzetta of the convent.
8pm: High Mass, Church of San Gennaro.
Piazza San Gennaro 10.45pm
Fantasy, Energy, and Enthusiasm..... Closing the 2015 Luminaria di San Domenico, the great technology of 3D mapping will play with the architecture of the church, combined with the unique and original, music and firework spectacular, presented and directed by TELESFORO MORSANI.