The patron of Martone is Saint George the Martyr, celebrated on 23 April and on the second Sunday of August: his feast is the identifying mark of being from Martone and the most deeply felt tradition of the town.
In August the celebrations open with the novena, and what makes the feast unique is the age-old tradition of the Albero della Cuccagna (greasy-pole tree): about ten days before, volunteers choose in the beech woods of the mountain the tallest, straightest tree, the «Ntinna» (the Antenna), which is cut down on the preceding Friday at the locality «valle gelata»; on Sunday morning, from the first light of dawn, the tamburinari (drummers) play throughout the procession, with the saint's effigy carried on the shoulders of the town's men.
