Background San Trifone festival Adelfia (Italy)

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To complete my "work" on Italian fireworks I hereby give you some background information on the festival in honour of Saint Trifone in Adelfia (Bari, Italy). The text below is a translation of what I found on www.santrifone.it.

Adelfia
The town of Adelfia lies in the province of Bari, Puglia, Italy. Just a few kilometres south-east of Bari the town now counts approximately 18.000 inhabitants. Its surroundings are characterized by agriculture and therefore vineyards and olive trees are abundant. The center of the town is a combination of two villages (Canneto and Montrone) that were separated for a long time. Canneto was founded by Normans between 1080 and 1090 AD and Montrone was founded by Greek refugees around 980 AD. The two villages merged in 1927 and the new town was given the name of Adelfia (from the Greek word adelphos, which means brotherhood). In the 19th and 20th century a lot of inhabitants emigrated to the United States of America. Some of them return to their hometown especially for the festival to meet with family and honour their patron saint: San Trifone.

San Trifone
Trifone was born to Christian parents in 232 AD in a region now known as West-Turkey. He was a shepherd of geese and able to do healings and excorcism. He also gave protection against invasions of locusts. During the Decian persecution (249-251) he was arrested and tortured because he didn’t obey imperial law that prescribed to honour the roman gods. At the age of 18 he was decapitated.

Festival
The festival takes place each year on November 10th in honour of the patron saint San Trifone. As with a lot of festivals in Italy, the festival in Adelfia has great economic, cultural and religious interest. The program of the festival is filled with cultural, folkloristic and musical aspects.
The city square is engulfed in light by the tens of thousands of lightbulbs that form a magnificent and huge piece of illumination. Every year the magnificent illumination is put up by the company Faniuolo. The origin of this company dates back to 1875. In that time illuminations where put up by using coloured oil lamps. Around 1910 they switched to lamps on acetylene gas and in 1927 they put up their first electric illumination, which of course opened more perspectives for their designs and colours.
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The city square also forms the stage for musicbands and harmonies to perform. The main street around Adelfia and the city center transform into one big market and fun fair where one can buy all kinds of usefull products, sweets (lots of roasted almonds and different kinds of nougat) and food (raw celery is eaten a lot).

Besides that a competition between some of the best italian pyrotechnic firms, which takes place in the afternoon, attracts enthusiasts (appassionati) from all over the country and abroad. The pyrotechnicians put in their best effort to show their craftsmenship and amaze the public. Starting their display with huge individually fired cylindrical multibreak shells called bomba da tiro, which show their effects while going up and, after reaching apogee, while going down as well. The display itsself starts slowly, but its rhythm and power ever increases culminating in a bombardment of smoke and sound as if it where paradise in hell.

Local pyrotechnicians
The region of Puglia has delivered some of the best pyrotechnicians. The town of Adelfia itsself has had two great pyrotechnicians: Trifone Bruno and Luigi Gargano. These two contributed enormously to the development of the art. Therefore and because of their memorable displays, they got a lot of supporters who followed them everywhere to cheer for their own favourite. The great skill of the two also stimulated other italian pyrotechnicians that came to Adelfia trying to compete with them in order to gain contracts for other festivities. Although these great names nowadays only exist in memories, the competition of Adelfia still attracts numerous pyrotechnicians and tens of thousands of spectators.

Trifone Bruno
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Believed to be one of the bigger masters in pyrotechnics. Born in Adelfia on December 25th 1905 with gunpowder running through his veins. At the age of 15 he started working in the fireworksfactory of Luigetto Nanna in Cassamassima. Soon he teaches his co-workers how to load the “cannoli” in a shell. He turns out to be a master in stead of being a student. At the age of 17 he’s responsible for the factory of Augusto in Terlizzi and that’s where he meets his future wife, who will give him 8 sons. At the age of 19 he’s responsible for the factory of the widow Vernola in Molfetta, where he prepares a display for the city of Montrone (San Trifone 1927) that contained 80 “Bombe da Tiro”. A display that is still alive in memories.

Encouraged by his admirers he starts his own factory in 1928. He’s a master in timing and innovation. His shells are pushing the limits of the art. Firstly because the first break of his shells takes place only a few metres above the mortar. Secondly because he optimizes his black powder mixture for use as liftcharge. He knows how to prepare all kinds of mixtures with metals, chlorates, nitrates, sulfates, etc..
In 1940 he’s forced to close his factory, because fireworks were forbidden during WWII. He emigrates to Germany to work for a mining company, but returns to Italy and reopens his factory in 1945. The fields are full with unexploded bombs from which he harvests gunpowder. This gunpowder had to be altered a little to be used in fireworks. And that’s when things go wrong.
The 17th of June 1946 an explosion occurs and he looses two of his sons (Giovanni, 20 and Michele, 18) and an uncle. Time passes and heals wounds, but on May 12th 1956 another tragedy occurs. His son Luigi (18) was transporting a bag of black powder on his moped that exploded. On November 10th (San Trifone) of the same year he puts up an extraordinary display in Adelfia with an exceptional finale, in fact two finales. The first one in traditional style of shooting, the second one started immediately after the last break of the first finale and used shells of ever increasing caliber with excellent rhythm, that only he could do, continuing to the “inferno” and ending with an eccentric “chiusura”. This was the answer of Trifone to the mixtures he knew so well and that had given him misery twice.
In 1972 he’s invited to display in the Principality of Monaco, which is a great success and where he receives a big prize in money. On October 20th in 1973, while he and his son-in-law are preparing shells for the upcoming display of November 10th, there’s suddenly a bright flash and a roaring thunder that shook the earth. Both men were killed instantly. All night it’s a pilgrimage of people who couldn’t believe and wanted to see with their own eyes, but unfortunately Trifone is no more. He joined his three sons in heaven. Where the factory used to be one can see bright colours in the sky on a clear summernight: the fire of Bruno.

Luigi Gargano
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Born on May 1st 1921. From 1935 till the start of WWII he worked together with Trifone Bruno with several nearby companies. He started in the workshop in order to learn the art of pyrotechnics and after several promotions he became a master in pyrotechnics. He was the first to use a certain way of shooting which made it easy to recognize his signature of great rhythm. His displays were like listening to a symphonic orchestra.

In 1951 he emigrates to Venezuela, but returns a few years later and starts his first factory in Adelfia. Very soon the competitiveness starts with other nearby pyrotechnicians and with his step-brother.
In 1956, after the death of his grandson, he closes his factory in Adelfia and accepts the invitation of Mastronardi in Bologna to start working for them till 1966. In this period he perfects the techniques of the breakcharge and of the colours. Renowned were his fireworks for the International Exhibition of 1961 in Torino and for Recco, Sirmione, Venezia, San Remo, etc..
In 1966 he leaves the workplace of Mastronardi and returns to Adelfia to re-open his factory. Because of his abilities and ingenuity his name has become legendary by now. The explosion of the factory of Trifone Bruno in October 1973 is also a big misfortune for him. Because he can now only rely on the help of his sons, he is forced to close his factory. He goes to Torino to visit his relatives. Because he can not withstand the call of the powder he also visits his old friend and colleague Panzera who proposes him to stay, which he does for a few years while continuing his skills and his style. However, his origins also keep calling and he returns to Adelfia, to his factory and to his numerous supporters. The news of his return spreads fast amongst festival committees. His style, reputation and innumerable prizes have put him on the highest steps of Mount Olympus for pyrotechnicians. His participation to festivals like that of San Trifone, Aci Bonaccorsi, Ravello, etc. can’t be forgotten. In the ‘90’s of the 20th century he ends his respectable career and becomes one of the legendary pyrotechnicians that used to be.

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Source: www.santrifone.it
 
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