San Domenico Festival - Panèmediterraneo

The wheat festival in the heart of Salento

The San Domenico Festival - Panèmediterraneo is the summer highlight that brings Uggiano Montefusco to life, a small village of about 1,500 inhabitants in the municipality of Manduria, in the province of Taranto. Every year, the Salento village transforms its squares, alleys, and courtyards into an immersive trail dedicated to wheat, bread, and the rural culture that has left deep marks on the traditions, rituals, and customs of this part of Apulia.

Panèmediterraneo: a theme born from the roots

The name Panèmediterraneo captures the spirit of the event: food as culture and wheat as a symbol of identity. It is no coincidence that the village crest features three ears of wheat, a direct nod to the agricultural vocation of this land. The festival offers a reflection on the value of bread and local produce, celebrated through gastronomic, artistic, and sensory experiences that involve the entire community.

Flavors of the rural tradition

The heart of the festival lies in the food stalls scattered throughout the alleys, squares, and courtyards, where you can taste the dishes of the traditional Salento 'cucina povera':

• Pettole and homemade pasta (the famous pizzarieddi)
• Meatballs and stuffed eggplants
• Fava beans and garden-fresh vegetables
• Guided tastings of Primitivo di Manduria with sommeliers
• Tastings of local extra virgin olive oil

Each station is accompanied by QR codes that share recipes, history, and fun facts about the dishes, bridging memory and innovation.

Culture, music, and workshops

Alongside the gastronomy, the program features a rich calendar of events: bread-making rituals in the communal wood-fired oven, pizzica dance workshops, sensory walks among aromatic herbs, photography and art exhibitions, book presentations, and multimedia installations. The evenings conclude with concerts of folk music, pizzica, and world music, bringing the sounds and dances of Salento tradition to the square.

A community event

The event is promoted by the Gruppo Culturale Aracne, in collaboration with local associations and with the patronage of the Municipality of Manduria and the Apulia Region. Originally a feast linked to Saint Dominic, the festival has evolved over the years into a cultural, tourist, and social project that enhances the village of Uggiano Montefusco and its rural heritage, inviting residents and visitors to rediscover the roots of rural Apulia.