English 
Hrvatski 
SCORRANO / SVETA NEDELJA – A major international recognition for Rally Show Santa Domenica turned into a powerful, emotional and meaningful story of friendship, hospitality and a shared love for motorsport last weekend in Scorrano, in Apulia, in the heart of Salento, at the very south of Italy. Following the official signing of the cooperation agreement with Rally delle Luminarie, the Croatian delegation returned from Italy with impressions that go far beyond the framework of a single sporting event.
The first edition of Rally delle Luminarie was not just a rally. It was a meeting point of sport, history, local pride, Salento gastronomy and Scorrano, the town of Santa Domenica and one of the most famous centres of the Italian tradition of luminarie — magnificent artistic light installations that have become a symbol of the town. There, light represents much more than decoration; it is part of the town’s identity, faith, tradition and sense of community.
It was in this very atmosphere that Scorrano welcomed the representatives of Rally Show Santa Domenica, confirming that the strongest partnerships are not built solely on protocols but on people, emotion, and mutual respect.
The hosts from the Rally delle Luminarie organisation, Mayor of Scorrano Mario Pendinelli, Automobile Club Lecce, ASD Motorsport Scorrano, Santino Siciliano, President of ASD Motorsport Scorrano and the main contact of the Croatian delegation, the Rally News Plus media team and many residents of Scorrano gave the Croatian delegation a welcome that will remain deeply remembered. From official moments to spontaneous encounters, from the rally atmosphere to walks through the town of lights, Scorrano showed how one event can become a strong identity of an entire community.
An agreement that immediately gained a soul
The official cooperation agreement connected Rally delle Luminarie and Rally Show Santa Domenica through the symbolic, yet extremely strong link between the names Santa Domenica / Sveta Nedelja. However, after the visit to Scorrano, it is clear that this cooperation does not remain only on paper. It has already become a living story of two towns, two events and two communities that understand that rally can be much more than stopwatches, special stages and results.
Rally delle Luminarie was held as an event bringing together modern rally cars, historic vehicles, a regularity programme, and rich cultural content. Scorrano, in the Apulia region, internationally recognised for its luminarie tradition, gave the entire event a special setting: from the historic town centre and Palazzo Ducale Guarini to the Museum of Luminarie and the final moments in an atmosphere of light, tradition and great local pride.
The first edition of Rally delle Luminarie also had a strong sporting character. Victory went to Maurizio Di Gesù and Gianmarco Manco in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, with a total time of 26:11.90. The rally brought together modern and historic cars, a regularity programme and a gathering of historic vehicles, while according to the Rally News Plus report, the event was followed by a large number of spectators despite the intense heat. A special international dimension was given to the event precisely through the cooperation protocol with Rally Show Santa Domenica from Croatia.
For Rally Show Santa Domenica, which has been built for years in Sveta Nedelja and Savršćak, Samobor, as one of the most recognisable gravel rally events in Croatia and the region, this visit was confirmation that international reputation is created through persistence, consistency and an authentic atmosphere. In Scorrano, it was especially clear how strongly sport can serve as a tool for promoting a town, tourism and the local community.
Santa Domenica – the patron saint of Scorrano and the light of a community
This cooperation is given special depth by Santa Domenica, the patron saint of Scorrano. According to local tradition, during the plague epidemic at the beginning of the 17th century, she appeared to an elderly woman near the town gate of Porta Terra and announced the protection of the town. As a sign of gratitude and healing, the residents placed oil lamps on their windows, and Scorrano shone with the light that gave rise to the unique art of luminarie over the centuries.
Today, luminarie represent much more than decoration. They are memory, identity and the pride of Scorrano. That is why the meeting between Rally delle Luminarie and Rally Show Santa Domenica carries such special symbolism: Scorrano preserves its patron saint through light, while Sveta Nedelja, through its name and rally story, naturally finds a friendly bridge to the Italian town that lives the same symbolism in its own way.
Interview with Daniel Vojvodić and Tajana Vojvodić-Pinky
How would you describe the Scorrano experience?
“The impression we bring home from Scorrano, from the very south of Italy, from the heel of the Italian boot, is truly wonderful and unique. From the very first meeting, we felt like we were among friends. We were beautifully hosted by the organisers, the mayor, the Rally News Plus media team and the local people. This was not just an official visit, but an experience that reminds you why you do events like this in the first place. Rally was the reason, but what we bring home are the people, the energy and sincere friendship.”
— Daniel Vojvodić, President of the Organizing Committee of Rally Show Santa Domenica
What does this partnership mean for Rally Show Santa Domenica?
“For us, this is a great recognition, but also a great motivation. We have been building Rally Show Santa Domenica for years into an event with its own soul, audience, volunteers, crews, and an atmosphere that is difficult to replicate. In Scorrano, we saw how strongly a rally can live with a town and its local community. That is exactly what we want to develop further, because our rally has never been just a race.”
— Tajana Vojvodić-Pinky, President of AKK Sveta Nedelja
How do you see this cooperation continuing?
“Our Italian friends are coming to Rally Show Santa Domenica in November, and we want to return the hospitality at the same level as what we experienced in Scorrano. We believe that the City of Sveta Nedelja and Mayor Dario Zurovec will also become part of this story, so they can be officially welcomed and hosted just as warmly as Mayor Mario Pendinelli of Scorrano welcomed us. We want them to feel everything that makes people return to RSSD every year.”
— Daniel Vojvodić
“We are especially pleased that this cooperation goes beyond formality. It includes people, media, crews and concrete visits. We are looking forward to the Italian crews, and we sincerely hope that next year we will also compete at Rally delle Luminarie with several of our crews. That would be the most beautiful continuation of a story that began in Scorrano in an extremely emotional way.”
— Tajana Vojvodić-Pinky
November in Sveta Nedelja as a return meeting of friends
Rally Show Santa Domenica will take place from 20 to 22 November 2026, and this year’s edition brings a new configuration of Savršćak Arena, attractive night special stages, the recognisable gravel atmosphere and an even stronger international dimension. After Scorrano, November in Sveta Nedelja takes on another special role: it becomes a reunion of friends, hosts, crews, and communities connected by the same passion.
The Organizing Committee of Rally Show Santa Domenica wants to show its guests from Italy the very best of Sveta Nedelja, Savršćak and the Croatian rally scene. Just as Scorrano welcomed its guests with light, history, and warmth, Sveta Nedelja will open its doors to its Italian friends in November with a spectacular ceremonial start, emotion, and the atmosphere for which RSSD has become known.
The cooperation between Rally delle Luminarie and Rally Show Santa Domenica is therefore more than an international partnership. It is the beginning of a story in which sport becomes a culture of encounters, tradition becomes a bridge between towns, and rally becomes an event that connects people much more strongly than any official agreement ever could.
Rally Show Santa Domenica thanks the friends from Scorrano, the organisers of Rally delle Luminarie, Mayor Mario Pendinelli, Automobile Club Lecce, ASD Motorsport Scorrano, Santino Siciliano, the Rally News Plus media team and the residents of Scorrano for their hospitality, friendship and energy that will remain permanently written into this cooperation.
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