Canti di Passione – Ce Custi o Gaddho na Cantalisi

A festival of sacred Holy Week chants

The Canti di Passione – Ce Custi o Gaddho na Cantalisi is a traveling festival dedicated to the sacred and devotional chants of Holy Week. Each spring, it traverses the villages of the Grecìa Salentina, in the province of Lecce, with special stops in Lecce and Alessano. The title, in the Griko language, tells the story of the Passion according to the Grecanic tradition of this corner of Puglia, where the Hellenic-origin dialect still survives. The event is promoted by the Union of Municipalities of Grecìa Salentina with the participation of the "Diego Carpitella" Institute of Mediterranean Cultures and the support of the La Notte della Taranta Foundation and the Province of Lecce.

The Alessano stop

In Alessano, a village in lower Salento known as the home of don Tonino Bello, the evening begins with a guided path of silence and reflection through the historic center: from the mother church of San Salvatore to Palazzo Legari, from the square dedicated to the bishop to the clock tower, and finally to the Convent of the Capuchin Friars Minor. Along the way, folk choirs and singers perform Passion chants in a ritual that unites devotion, memory, and oral tradition music.

Music, rituals, and Griko tradition

The festival was born from the desire to preserve and promote an ancient intangible heritage: the chants performed by the cantori (singers) of Salento during Lent and Holy Week, passed down from generation to generation. Each edition involves dozens of folk groups and choirs, confraternities, and guest ensembles from other regions, totaling hundreds of artists who bring twelve days of events to life across the municipalities of Grecìa Salentina.

• Guided tour of the historic center with narrative and musical stops;
• Performances by folk choirs and singers of the Salento tradition;
• Shows featuring voices and musicians who are benchmarks of Salento folk music;
• Rediscovery of the Griko language and Holy Week rituals.

An identity-defining event for Alessano and Puglia

For the Municipality of Alessano and the entire Grecìa Salentina in Puglia, Canti di Passione represents a moment of strong cultural and spiritual identity. The festival weaves the religious heritage of Holy Week with the ethnomusicological richness of the territory, offering residents and visitors an authentic experience of listening and contemplation in the villages of Salento. Admission to the events is free, but mandatory reservation is required to participate in the tour and performances.