Sagra de lu Cardiscia Festival

The Sagra de lu Cardiscia in Alessano

The Sagra de lu Cardiscia (also known in dialect as Sagra ta Cardiscia) is one of the most characteristic gastronomic festivals of the summer in Alessano, a town in Lower Salento in the province of Lecce, just a few kilometers from Santa Maria di Leuca and the southernmost tip of Puglia. The event revolves around an ingredient as humble as it is iconic: lu cardiscia, the wild cardoon that grows spontaneously in the Salento countryside and which traditional peasant cuisine has transformed into a small treasure of flavors.

An ingredient of Salento's peasant cuisine

For centuries, the wild cardoon has been a staple on the tables of Salento's farming families. Gathered in the fields, it was patiently cleaned and cooked in a thousand ways: in fragrant omelets, in seasonal soups and stews, or preserved in oil to accompany meals during the colder months. The festival was born precisely to bring this tradition back to the table and to introduce visitors to a genuine flavor, deeply linked to the land and the memories of Salento's grandmothers.

What to expect

During the festival evenings, the center of Alessano comes alive with food stalls where you can taste dishes based on cardiscia along with other typical products of Salento cuisine. The atmosphere is that of a classic Puglian village festival: outdoor tables, the scent of fried food and traditional dishes, folk music, and dancing that enlivens the streets until late at night. It is an opportunity to experience the genuine hospitality of the most authentic Salento, far from the more touristy coastal routes.

Alessano and Lower Salento

Alessano is a village that preserves a compact historic center with palaces and churches made of Lecce stone, and it includes the hamlet of Montesardo, perched on a hill overlooking the landscape of the Capo di Leuca. Its location, a short distance from the meeting point of the Ionian and Adriatic Seas, makes the Sagra de lu Cardiscia an ideal stop for those spending the summer in Salento who wish to discover, beyond the sea, the local food and wine traditions.