Arti e Fiori

Taviano celebrates its flowers

In August, the historic center of Taviano, in the province of Lecce, lights up with Arti e Fiori, the event that the Municipality dedicates to the city's most authentic soul: floriculture. It is no coincidence that Taviano is known as the "city of flowers": between the late fifties and early sixties, some pioneers of the nursery industry laid the foundations here for what is now one of the driving sectors of Salento agriculture, featuring one of the most important flower markets in Southern Italy. Arti e Fiori was born precisely to tell this story, bringing it to the streets, squares, and courtyards of the old town.

A village transformed into an open-air stage

For two evenings, the narrow streets of the historic center become a walking route, among floral installations and decorations, lights, and scents that evoke the art of cut flowers grown in the Taviano countryside. Along the path, you will encounter all kinds of performances: the Night of the Circus with clowns, jugglers, stilt walkers, dancers, and fire-eaters, the spectacular aerial dance suspended over a water tank (the famous waterbowl show), the music and dance of the Salento tradition with folk circles and pizzica, and concerts on stages set up in the main squares, from Piazza del Popolo to Piazza San Martino.

Art, music, and community

The program weaves together different languages — visual arts, music, street theater, poetry, and dance — with the aim of enhancing a territory that makes beauty its calling card. Over the years, the event has hosted tributes to Italian singer-songwriters, tango shows, rock concerts, and guests from the national scene, always with the participation of local associations and artistic groups collaborating with the Municipal Administration.

A free event in the heart of Salento

Arti e Fiori is an event with free admission, designed for families, curious visitors, and tourists who choose lower Salento in the height of summer, just a few kilometers from the Ionian coast of Marina di Mancaversa. It is the ideal opportunity to discover the less touristy and more authentic face of this corner of Puglia, where the art of flowers becomes a collective celebration.

The dates for the 2026 edition have not yet been announced by the Municipal Administration of Taviano: the program is usually released in the weeks preceding the event, which is traditionally held in August.