Calimera and the Grecìa salentina - The salento that (maybe) you don't know
Calimera, in Griko Kalimera, means "good morning." And it is no coincidence at all: the days here, in this small and cozy town in the province of Lecce, are blessed with sunshine and beauty.
Just look around. Everywhere one finds Hellenic reminders, tributes and traces of a glorious past that is not so much past: in Calimera one still breathes history, culture, the true origins of Salento.
If walking through its streets you hear the echo of a pizzica peeping out of the windows, or a stornello snocciolato in ancient Greek (the local griko)... well, welcome to the heart of Salento!
The town is 17 km from Lecce and 14 km from the sea at Melendugno on the Adriatic. The famous Grotta della Poesia, one of the most beautiful natural pools in Italy, is very close by. It will be the one, perhaps, that creates the romantic and inspired aura you feel in the area.
If you want to spend your vacation in Salento, in any case, mark the name of this village.
Lampioni and cuturusciu: for those on vacation in June in Salento
Every year for the summer solstice, in June, just as the sun is showing to its utmost power, the dazzling Piazza del Sole and the streets of Calimera's historic center come alive with lights and colors to the rhythm of music.
And the real party is them, the street lamps, wonderful and imaginative lamps of all shapes, one of a kind, made by locals from string, bamboo canes and wire.
Grown-ups and children, no difference: preparing the lampposts is a ritual that begins many months in advance, uniting the community and strengthening its roots.
And lu cuturusciu? What is it?
It is a rather large tarallo , almost a doughnut, that carries with it all the typical flavors of this land.
What makes it special, besides its taste, is the story it carries with it, capable as never before of telling the genuineness and customs of times gone by. When bread was still made at home, in fact, lu cuturusciu was the dough left sticking on the kneading trough, insufficient to become another loaf but precious enough not to be thrown away. A little extra oil, water to soften it, coarse salt and a pinch of pepper gave this doughnut the taste that with the passage of time has never lost its appeal.
Inevitable, of course, during the Festa dei Lampioni, is the music that accompanies the joy of the feast: the pizzica, of course, peasant songs, traditional dirges. With a good glass of Apulian wine, a negroamaro or a primitivo. Which never hurts.
Find your vacation home: don't miss festivals, concerts and festivals in Salento
If you want to experience in person the most beautiful street festivals, concerts and festivals of Salento and need a hand in choosing an apartment to rent for the vacations, you're in the right place!
Click here to discover all our most beautiful vacation homes in the Otranto area : the sea is beautiful, Otranto has a wonderful historic center and the Grecìa salentina is only a few kilometers away.
Here, instead, you will find all our apartments and vacation homes near the sea in Melendugno, where the Grotta della Poesia is located, just 15 minutes from Calimera!
