Ancient Flavors Festival

A festival dedicated to the flavors of the past

In the heart of Salento, just a few kilometers from Lecce, the village of San Pietro in Lama celebrates the Ancient Flavors Festival every summer, one of the most cherished gastronomic events in the area. For two evenings, the historic center transforms into a culinary journey: streets, alleys, and courtyards fill with open-air dining, stalls, and stands where you can rediscover the traditional peasant cuisine of Salento, passed down by grandmothers and tied to the rhythms of the countryside.

Traditional Salento dishes

The true star of the festival is the simple, genuine food of Salento, served in the village streets with aromas that transport you back in time. Specialties featured at the stands include:

• Pittule: hot, crispy, leavened dough fritters, a symbol of Salento cuisine;
• Pezzetti di cavallo al sugo: a signature dish from the Lecce area, consisting of horse meat slow-cooked in tomato sauce;
• Friselle: crunchy bread rings topped with fresh tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil;
• Soups, grilled vegetables, and garden-fresh produce;
• Homemade desserts from the peasant tradition.

Every dish tells the story of a land of olive groves and countryside, where food was the heart of community life and village festivals.

Folk music, pizzica, and entertainment

The festival is about more than just food: the two evenings are accompanied by folk music and the infectious rhythms of Salento pizzica, the ritual dance that defines summer in the region. Between courses, you will find street performers, artists, and live concerts animating the squares and alleys. There are also displays of local craftsmanship, featuring ceramics, textiles, and traditional techniques that highlight the village's artisanal roots.

San Pietro in Lama, the village of the "imbrici"

A town of just over 3,400 inhabitants in the province of Lecce, San Pietro in Lama preserves ancient Messapian and Roman roots. It was once known as "San Pietro de l'imbrici" due to the skilled artisans who produced terracotta roof tiles (known as *imbrici* in the local dialect). The village boasts historic churches like Santa Maria della Croce and Sant'Antonio Abate and celebrates its summer festivals with great passion: the Ancient Flavors Festival is complemented by the patronal feast of Saint Peter the Apostle, held on the second Sunday of July. Attending the festival is a chance to discover an authentic corner of Puglia, far from the main tourist crowds, where the cuisine of yesteryear still takes center stage.