Once a year, two trees marry in Accettura. A turkey oak is felled in one forest, a holly brought from another, the two are joined together in the town and then raised – a rite older than Christianity, now celebrated in honour of the patron saint San Giuliano. The „Maggio di Accettura“ is one of the most remarkable festivals in southern Italy.
Accettura lies at 770 metres in the mountains north-west of Matera, with around 1,500 inhabitants. About half the municipal territory is forest and pasture; the town belongs to the Gallipoli Cognato and Piccole Dolomiti Lucane regional park. The name first appears in a papal document of 1060; in 1272 the town was almost destroyed by fire and rebuilt under Charles I of Anjou.
The Maggio – the marriage of the trees
The festival stretches over weeks. On the first Sunday after Easter volunteers pick out the tallest, straightest turkey oak in the forest of Montepiano – the „Maggio“. On the following Sunday the holly, the „Cima“, is chosen in the forest of Gallipoli Cognato. On Ascension Day the Maggio is felled. Eight days later some fifty pairs of Podolica oxen drag the trunk about four kilometres to a spot outside the town. On Whit Sunday the Maggio comes in while the Cima is carried a good fifteen kilometres on men’s shoulders; at around seven in the evening the two trees are joined – the wedding itself. On the Tuesday that follows comes the procession for San Giuliano, the tree is slowly raised, and those who wish climb it. The trunk then rises well over twenty metres into the sky.
The date therefore moves with Easter. If you want to see the festival, plan the trip around Whitsun and follow the town’s programme.
Other things to see
Museo dei Culti Arborei
The museum of tree cults shows pictures, photographs and film about the Maggio, along with farming implements. It is the right place to go if you arrive outside the festival season and want to understand what happens here.
The churches
The town holds several baroque churches with altars and paintings from the 15th to the 18th century.
Gallipoli Cognato – Piccole Dolomiti Lucane regional park
The park begins on the doorstep: old oak and turkey-oak woodland on Monte Gallipoli and Montepiano, footpaths and picnic areas. Further west rise the rock pinnacles of the Piccole Dolomiti at Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa. For a full day, town and forest together make the finest combination.
Getting there from Matera
About 60 to 70 kilometres by car, an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half on the SS 7 and mountain roads. The few buses are not enough for a day trip; you need a car. During the festival the town is full – arrive early and park outside.
Best time to visit
Whitsun for the festival, otherwise May to October for the woods. At 770 metres the summer is markedly cooler than in Matera – a good reason to come up on hot days.
Worth combining
Tricarico, with its Norman tower and Arab quarters, lies on the way. Both towns in one day is feasible if you start early.
