In 1527 the plague passed by Pomarico without coming in. To thank San Michele the town offered him thirty pounds of worked white wax, which at the time was no symbolic gesture: a kilo of wax cost as much as a hundredweight of wheat. The offering of the wax is still renewed every May, with the procession on the triumphal cart.
The name comes from pomarium, an orchard, and the coat of arms duly carries an apple tree; but Pomarico was never known for apples, while it was known for figs. The town sits at 458 metres between the Bradano and the Basento and counts 4,238 residents. In January 2019 a landslide carried away part of the old centre.
Pane di Matera
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Next up: Saint Michael the Archangel, patron, and the thirty pounds of wax offered after the 1527 plague, Friday 7 May
Nearest airport: Bari Palese, 71 km away
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📅 Every year, from 7 to 9 May, with the offering of wax and the procession on the triumphal cart
Pomarico celebrates Saint Michael the Archangel from 7 to 9 May, renewing the offering of wax and the procession on the triumphal cart, in memory of 1527, when the town escaped the plague and thanked its protector with thirty pounds of wax.
Durum wheat semolina, thick crust, shaped as a horn or a tall loaf: Pane di Matera has held Protected Geographical Indication status since 2008.
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Outside Pomarico, but an easy day trip away.
