ASSOCIAZIONE FOLKLORICA MINTURNO
"Festival del Sud Pontino" represents one of the most important and eagerly awaited moments in the life of our town, which, in the first week of August, witnesses a joyful and peaceful invasion of people from all over the world.
It officially opens with the presentation of the guest groups, welcomed by the Mayor and the entire town for a welcoming ceremony; it concludes, as has become customary, on August 6th with a grand and captivating final performance.
During the day, during the festival, all the dancers and musicians gather in the nursery school's loggia, where meals are also served. It may seem like a minor detail, but it's actually one of the most wonderful opportunities to be together. The groups happily gather around the long tables, where they can enjoy traditional Italian dishes.
The final day is undoubtedly the most intense. In the afternoon, the groups participate in the closing parade; At the end of the procession, they converge on Piazza Portanova for the celebration of the Solemn Mass, which involves the entire town and draws a considerable number of people from nearby towns and Italian emigrants abroad. During this service, each group performs a song accompanied by their own instruments: a hymn to brotherhood, uniting peoples profoundly different in culture and religion, making this one of the most evocative moments of the entire festival.
The event concludes with a thrilling final show, held in the Roman Theater or in the specially equipped square with seating.
The folk groups, the true protagonists of the "South Pontine" Festival, take turns on stage in a succession of movements and rhythms.
A regular event during the festival is the so-called "folklore festival," which is usually held on the last evening after the show. Food stands are set up for the occasion, offering typical culinary specialties from Minturno. The evening of the folklore festival, dedicated to food and drink, takes place in the square in front of the middle school, where guest groups also offer samples of traditional dishes from their hometowns, while music and dancing entertain the participants until late at night.
UAMPA APS (Italy)
