La Neretina – Counter-Current Culture Festival

A festival that goes against the grain

La Neretina is the Counter-Current Culture Festival that brings Nardò to life every year—an elegant Baroque town in the province of Lecce, in the heart of Salento. Founded in 2023 by the Associazione Castelli di Carta with the support of the Municipality of Nardò and the Province of Lecce, the event has established itself in just a few editions as one of the most debated cultural gatherings in Southern Puglia.

The common thread is clear from its name: a free and counter-current culture, consisting of unfiltered discussions, book presentations, and debates on current affairs, politics, society, and communication. The stage hosts a rotating cast of columnists, essayists, journalists, and satirical authors, invited to discuss their latest works and the major issues of the present before a large and engaged audience.

The stage: the Villa Comunale of Nardò

The heart of the festival is the Villa Comunale of Nardò, the historic municipal botanical garden on Via Lata, which becomes an open-air lounge immersed in greenery during summer evenings. In previous editions, the festival has also utilized the Municipal Theater, but it is within the setting of the Villa that La Neretina finds its most evocative dimension, amidst centuries-old trees and the intimate atmosphere of the Nardò historic center.

Voices and themes

The strength of La Neretina lies in the variety and stature of its guests: editors of major national newspapers, former Ministers of Culture, cartoonists who have become communication phenomena, sports journalists, and local administrators. Each meeting starts with a book and expands into a debate on current events, without sacrificing a touch of spectacle and irony. It is a festival that champions the pleasure of debate and uncomfortable ideas, in a Salento that, in summer, is made not only of sea but also of thought.

Nardò and Salento

Attending La Neretina is also an opportunity to discover Nardò, a jewel of Lecce Baroque with its splendid Piazza Salandra, and to experience Salento in its most intense season. The event confirms the cultural vocation of a territory that combines tradition, hospitality, and a desire to discuss the present.