Pasticciotto Festival – Fanóve Special Edition

The Pasticciotto Festival in Castellana Grotte

Every year, in the heart of the Apulian winter, the Dream Café in Castellana Grotte transforms the Fanòve tradition into a celebration dedicated to one of Southern Italy's most beloved treats: the pasticciotto. The Pasticciotto Festival – Fanóve Special Edition takes place on Via Francesco Severi in the town of Castellana Grotte, Bari province, offering tastings of the famous shortcrust pastry shell filled with custard, served warm and fresh from the oven while the town lights up with its traditional bonfires.

The pasticciotto, a traditional delicacy

Originating in Salento and popular throughout Puglia, the pasticciotto is a small, oval-shaped shortcrust pastry filled with smooth custard and baked until golden and fragrant. Always a staple of the Apulian breakfast and snack time, it takes center stage during the festival: the evening celebrates tradition, taste, and fire, pairing the authentic flavor of the pastry with the unique atmosphere of the Fanòve.

The Fanòve: days of fire

The festival is part of I Giorni del Fuoco (The Days of Fire), a centuries-old ritual that sets Castellana Grotte ablaze every January 11th. The Fanòve tradition dates back to 1691, when, according to popular devotion, the city was saved from the plague through the intercession of Maria Santissima della Vetrana, the town's patron saint. Since then, on the night between January 11th and 12th, the neighborhoods of Castellana are illuminated by dozens of massive bonfires—some over ten meters high—built by volunteers over weeks of work. Around the fire, the community gathers to share local products, wine, and sweets: a moment of faith, purification, and conviviality that attracts numerous visitors every year.

A meeting of taste and community

The Pasticciotto Festival thus blends culinary indulgence with local identity. As the wood pyres burn in the squares, the Dream Café offers the chance to enjoy a warm pasticciotto in a festive atmosphere, amidst the scent of sugar and the warmth of the flames. It is an authentic way to experience the Apulian winter, discover the culture of Castellana Grotte—also famous for its spectacular caves—and rediscover the flavors of traditional Salento and Apulian pastry-making.