Ancient Flavours Festival

A festival rediscovering the flavours of the past

The Ancient Flavours Festival brings Vignacastrisi to life every summer. This small hamlet in the Municipality of Ortelle, located in the Province of Lecce, lies in the heart of lower Salento. It is a village festival born from the revival of a historical tradition: the old Meat and Piperussi Festival, a celebration of horse meat and roasted peppers that was the community's most anticipated gastronomic event for years. After a hiatus, the event has been reborn with a fresh look and a new name, but with the same spirit as before.

Two days of taste and community

For two evenings, the streets and small squares of Vignacastrisi fill with food stalls managed directly by local families and associations. The heart of the event is the food, prepared with the care and recipes of Salento's peasant cuisine: horse meat, roasted peppers (the famous piperussi), and other traditional local dishes. This is not just a fair, but a moment of collective memory where the village reconnects with its identity and the authentic flavours that have accompanied it for generations.

Folk music and festive atmosphere

Fine dining is paired with Salento music, as the rhythms and sounds of folk tradition transform the evenings into a party open to both residents and visitors. It is an ideal opportunity for those spending their summer in Salento who want to discover a genuine event, far from the main tourist circuits, in one of the most authentic villages in the Otranto and Capo di Leuca area.

Organization

The festival is promoted by the Pro Loco Ippocampo of Ortelle, which sought to revive this tradition as a sign of a resilient Salento that cherishes its own memory. The event takes place in the midst of the territory's summer festivities, among the numerous festivals and patronal feasts that enliven Ortelle and Vignacastrisi during the months of July and August.