I Canti di Passione – Ce Custi o Gaddho na Cantalisi

The Canti di Passione festival in Grecìa Salentina

I Canti di Passione – Ce Custi o Gaddho na Cantalisi is one of the most iconic Holy Week events in Salento. This itinerant festival spans about twelve days, crossing the villages of Grecìa Salentina, a linguistic enclave where Griko—an ancient language of Greek origin—is still preserved. The title itself is in Griko and refers to the Passion songs passed down through generations. Each evening, a different town hosts musical processions, devotional singing, and moments of reflection in historic churches and squares.

Sternatia, the first stop of the itinerant festival

The Municipality of Sternatia, in the province of Lecce, is traditionally one of the opening stops of the festival. The route winds from the Church of San Vito to the Mother Church of Maria SS. Assunta, passing through the historic center and sites of local devotion. Sternatia is one of the towns where the Griko language remains vibrant, lending an authentic touch to the songs performed by confraternities and singing groups.

The program

The festival brings together over 350 artists across fifteen events, featuring confraternities, school choirs, singers, and musical ensembles dedicated to historical texts and melodies. Regular participants in the Sternatia stage include local confraternities, guest performers, families of folk singers, and groups such as Astèria by Giorgio Filieri, which focuses on rediscovering the Salento devotional repertoire.

• Musical processions from the Church of San Vito to the Mother Church
• Devotional songs in Griko and Salento dialects
• Participation of local confraternities and choirs
• Free admission

Griko roots and Holy Week

The festival was created to preserve and promote the heritage of Passion songs, an expression of deeply rooted popular religiosity. The artistic direction is led by musician Antonio Melegari, with the support of the Diego Carpitella Institute and the La Notte della Taranta Foundation. The narrative of the life and death of Christ is conveyed through poetry, music, and gestures, in a continuous dialogue between faith, memory, and identity.

Lenten cuisine

The spiritual and musical experience is complemented by the discovery of cucina povera (peasant cuisine) and the simple dishes typical of the Lenten period. Participating restaurants offer a traditional menu that completes the journey into the culture of Grecìa Salentina, a land of olive trees, Lecce stone, and ancient traditions.

A project by the Union of Municipalities

The event is promoted by the Union of Municipalities of Grecìa Salentina in collaboration with the Province of Lecce, involving the entire territory of the Union along with special stops in Lecce and Alessano. It is an event that unites Salento villages around an intangible heritage unique to Puglia and Italy.