Saint Mary Magdalene Fair

A tradition spanning nearly three centuries

The Saint Mary Magdalene Fair takes place in Castiglione d'Otranto, a village within the municipality of Andrano, in the heart of the Salento region in the province of Lecce. It is recognized as the oldest agricultural fair in Salento. Already well-known throughout Southern Italy during the Middle Ages, when Neapolitan merchants traveled to the Terra d'Otranto to purchase fine silks, it was officially established on July 22, 1752, by the decree of Charles of Bourbon, King of Naples, who commissioned a stele to be placed on the facade of the chapel dedicated to the Magdalene.

Grain market and popular devotion

Originating as a solemn gathering where grain prices were negotiated near the 15th-century temple dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene, the fair still preserves its agricultural soul today. The date of July 22, the saint's liturgical feast day, remains the focal point around which the religious procession, the market, and the festivities that enliven the streets of this small Salento village revolve.

The Sagra de Lu Taraddhru

The gastronomic heart of the event is the Sagra de Lu Taraddhru, featuring the free distribution of barley taralli—known as "taraddhri" in the local dialect—a dark, rustic variation of the traditional frisella made with barley flour. This act of distribution, a symbol of hospitality and sharing, evokes the peasant culture of a land where barley was a humble yet precious crop.

Rare fruits and biodiversity

In recent years, the fair has embraced a strong environmental dimension, thanks to the contribution of the Casa delle Agricolture Tullia e Gino association. Highlights include pomological exhibitions dedicated to rare fruits, a farmers' market featuring zero-mile products, workshops on grafting and beekeeping, and discussions on reclaiming uncultivated land and safeguarding horticultural biodiversity, often within the framework of projects like BiodiverSO.

Salento music and culture

Evenings are accompanied by pizzica music groups and traditional Salento songs, transforming the fair into a community celebration that weaves together rural memory, spirituality, and agricultural innovation. It is an event that, in just a few summer days, captures the deep identity of Castiglione d'Otranto and Southern Puglia.