Scorza e Mollica

Bread as history, identity, and poetry

Few foods tell the story of Mediterranean civilization like bread. It is around this symbol of land, work, and sharing that Scorza e Mollica revolves, the international literary and photographic competition that unites word and image in Matera. Promoted by the MUV Matera APS Association together with the Slow Food Matera Conductora and the Network of Cities of Bread and Grain, the competition is part of the broader Slow Grains program, dedicated to the culture of wheat and cereals.

The second edition: 'Bread and the Mediterranean'

The 2026 edition chooses 'Bread and the Mediterranean' as its theme, exploring bread as a legacy of rural history and a symbol of peace and brotherhood in line with the UNESCO-recognized Mediterranean Diet. A common thread that naturally dialogues with Matera's 2026 status as Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue.

The three sections

• Narrative: unpublished short story between 2,000 and 6,000 characters
• Poetry: unpublished lyric poem not exceeding 30 verses
• Photography: single black and white or color shot, high resolution and without watermark

All works must highlight the link between bread and the territory and its primary elements, such as wheat and flour. The regulations explicitly prohibit the use of artificial intelligence.

Jury and prizes

The juries are entrusted to Marisa Salabelle (prose), Domenico Di Stefano (poetry), and Nicola Laricchia (photography). The winners receive the traditional Matera terracotta cuckoo, local products, and, for the literary sections, the publication of the winning texts in Mathera magazine.

An event for Matera and the Province

More than just a competition, Scorza e Mollica is an occasion for collective reflection on food as culture. The closing ceremony and the photographic exhibition transform the competition into a public meeting point, in the heart of a city that has made bread one of its most recognizable symbols. The support of the Municipality of Matera and the Province accompanies an initiative that intertwines literature, photography, and quality gastronomy.