Frantoi Aperti

Frantoi Aperti: culture goes underground

Frantoi Aperti is the cultural festival that brings Melendugno, in the province of Lecce, to life every summer in the heart of Salento. Promoted by the Municipality of Melendugno as part of the BluFestival program, the event transforms ancient underground olive mills—the oil mills carved into the rock below ground level—into exhibition spaces and stages for contemporary art. It is a way to return hidden heritage to the community and recount the history of the olive oil civilization that was the economic soul of this corner of Puglia for centuries.

What are underground olive mills?

Underground olive mills are subterranean environments, carved into limestone, where olives were once processed to produce "lampante" oil. The constant temperature and protection from light favored preservation. Today, these places, which bear witness to the toil of the millers, return as a unique setting for exhibitions and shows: their acoustics and semi-darkness create an intimate, almost sacred atmosphere.

The 2026 Program

The 2026 edition, the fourth, offers five events spread throughout the month of July, featuring art, theatre, music, and poetry:

• Friday, July 3 (8:00 PM) — Opening of the «Natura Naturans» exhibition by Angelo Pellegrino, in the underground mill on Via San Francesco, featuring works created from Salento earth, olive trees, and seeds.
• Sunday, July 5 (8:30 PM) — Giana Guaiana presents «Rosa Balistreri, voce di Sicilia. Di Lotte, di Canti, d'Amore», a tribute to the great Sicilian folk singer-songwriter.
• Saturday, July 11 (8:00 PM) — In the underground mill on Via Potì, the solo exhibition «Sud. La forza dell'ombra» by Gianni Chiriatti.
• Friday, July 17 — In Borgagne, a walk from Piazza Sant'Antonio to the mill accompanies the audience with the voice of actress Carla Guido on a literary and musical journey through the South.
• Friday, July 31 (8:30 PM) — Grand finale with «Terra Mia», an artistic and musical performance by Angelo Pellegrino and Rocco Mastrolia, evoking the rural civilization.

An experience between memory and modernity

Frantoi Aperti is not just an exhibition series: it is a dialogue between past and present, where contemporary art reinterprets the tradition of oil, rural civilization, and the identity of Salento. The exhibitions remain open for several days beyond the opening nights, allowing visitors to calmly discover both the works and the underground environments that host them.

Melendugno and the Torre dell'Orso coast

Melendugno is also famous for its coastline, including the beach of Torre dell'Orso and the coves of Sant'Andrea and Roca. Participating in Frantoi Aperti means combining a seaside holiday in Puglia with the discovery of a lesser-known but fascinating cultural heritage, all in the name of Salento's "green gold."