Cazzateddha Festival

The Cazzateddha Festival in Surbo

In the heart of Salento, just a few kilometers from Lecce, the town of Surbo dedicates a festival every summer to one of the most authentic symbols of its peasant cuisine: the cazzateddha. Also known as the Cazzateddha Feast, the event takes place in July in the square in front of the Church of Santa Lucia on Via Brenta. It is promoted by the Santa Lucia Festival Committee in collaboration with the local parish, with the patronage of the Province of Lecce and the Municipality of Surbo.

What is a cazzateddha?

The cazzateddha is a flatbread with a simple, genuine taste, recognized as a Traditional Agri-Food Product (PAT) of Puglia. Its name comes from the Salento dialect, specifically the verb cazzare, meaning to press or crush the dough before baking. It originated as a humble dish: it was once made with leftover bread dough, baked before the larger loaves to test the oven temperature without wasting anything. Toppings were whatever was available at home: crushed tomatoes, black olives, onions, chili peppers, or wild herbs, resulting in various versions depending on the season and the baker's creativity.

During the festival, the cazzateddha is prepared live by the expert hands of local men and women: a moment of passing down knowledge and bringing generations together, making the event much more than just a food tasting.

Music, dance, and tradition

Alongside the tasting of cazzateddha and other typical Salento products, the program offers live performances every evening: from pizzica, which is deeply rooted in Salento's folk tradition, to musical shows covering decades of Italian and international hits, as well as dance performances. The square transforms into a festive gathering place for families, residents, and visitors, where taste, music, and conviviality intertwine on summer evenings.

A charitable cause

The Cazzateddha Festival also has a clear social purpose: through the event, the Committee raises funds to remove architectural barriers at the Church of Santa Lucia, allowing people with mobility issues to access the hall and the "Angelo Leone" oratory spaces more easily. This charitable goal combines the promotion of Salento's culinary tradition with a concrete commitment to the Surbo community.

Surbo and Salento

Located in the province of Lecce, Puglia, Surbo is a small town at the gates of the Salento capital. The festival is an opportunity to discover the town, its history, and its deep connection to the peasant culture of Salento, in one of the most beloved regions for summer tourism in Puglia.