The authentic villages of the Taranta: the Grecìa salentina

Grecìa Salentina is a very special geographical and cultural area of Salento: for all intents and purposes, an island in the peninsula.

It encloses 11 municipalities in the Province of Lecce, included in the national network of the Authentic Villages of Italy, and covers about 150 square kilometers.

They are Calimera, Carpignano Salentino, Castrignano de' Greci, Corigliano d'Otranto, Cutrofiano, Martano, Martignano, Melpignano, Soleto, Sternatia and Zollino: towns, in some cases even very small ones, that have preserved part of their Hellenic origin, defending much of their original identity. Starting with language: the inhabitants, especially the older ones, still speak a very ancient language, Griko, or ancient Greek, a linguistic minority recognized by the Italian Parliament that includes expressions of modern Greek, neo-Latin vocabulary and Lecce idioms. Thus, if the Hellenophone influences in the rest of Salento have been gradually lost, they are still alive and palpable in these municipalities.

Look for "Kalinifta," a very sweet love serenade in Griko that, by popular acclaim, has become one of Salento's most celebrated hymns. Besides being engaging and enthralling, it has a truly magnificent text: these are the words that a lover, looking out his window, sings to his beloved.Tien glicea tusi nifta ti en òria cìevò plonno pensèonta 'ss'esena / How sweet is this night, how beautiful, I don't sleep thinking of you .

In this strip of Salento land, so precious and so ancient, there is no shortage of historical and artistic evidence in the villages. One example is the "sacred pierced stone" or "fertility stone" of Calimera, in the church of San Vito, which in its symbolism recalls some propitiatory rites of neighboring Greece.

This stone has a central hole with a diameter of 30 centimeters: according to some magical-religious beliefs, whoever crosses it on Easter Monday (Easter Monday) can obtain important spiritual benefits, purification from sin or a propitiatory blessing for fertility. This tradition, which is still repeated every year, draws inspiration from the cult of the Great Mother, a goddess of fertility who represented the fertility of the earth itself. The ritual is then accompanied by a big party with dancing and tasting of typical dishes, accompanied by pizzica dancing and stornelli in the Griko dialect.

If you are passionate about art and history, do not miss the majestic Castle of Corigliano d'Otranto, called "the most beautiful 16th-century military monument in the land of Otranto." Castello de' Monti, this is its name, also faced and won the invasions of the Turks in 1480, arriving to the present day with unchanged beauty. Today it is linked to a village revitalization project, "The Flying Castle," and embraces music, dance, visual arts, food, new crafts and handicrafts. If you are on vacation in Salento, be sure to check out the events calendar: you are sure to find many interesting evenings.

Then, in an itinerary to discover the villages of the inland, it's impossible not to mention Palazzo Granafei inSternatia , the baroque Convento degli Agostiniani in Melpignano (where the final concert of the Notte della Taranta is held), the Gothic spire of Soleto, according to legend built in one night by four devils, the parish church of theAssunta in Martano or the pozzelle of Castrignano dei Greci, Zollino and Soleto. They are real treasures of inestimable historical value.

Music and good wine, the winning recipe for guaranteed fun . Every year, for more than 40 years, the village of Carpignano has hosted a great popular festival where the absolute protagonist is good Salento wine, to toast the summer and the new harvest with pizzica and tambourines. The date is for the first weekend in September. The evening ends with a fun battle called "lancio de lu lacciu" (throwing of celery), a vegetable that, according to tradition, should be dipped in wine to be enjoyed at its best.

There is not only the Griko influence in what is now one of the most anticipated popular events in Europe: there are so many contaminations that have multiplied and intertwined here, merging with each other. The Notte della Taranta is the pivotal event for the municipalities of Grecìa that host its traveling festival in August. It's a phenomenon that attracts thousands of spectators from all over Italy and the world, won over by the overwhelming rhythm of the pizzica, the music that cadenced the ancient ritual of healing from the imaginary bite of the tarantula. The appointment with the long-awaited final stage in Melpignano, in its 22nd edition, is for Saturday, August 24, 2019.

The sea is not far away, the villages a real surprise: if you are planning your vacation in Salento, and you are looking for authentic experiences of the area, Grecìa Salentina is certainly a destination to consider. In just a few kilometers you can go on a discovery of bellissimin historic centers, experience the traditions of Salento, go wild to the rhythm of the pizzica.