Simeddha Festival

The Salento bread festival in Depressa

The Simeddha Festival, which the Pro Loco also organizes under the name Festa della Simeddha, is one of the most cherished summer events in Depressa, a small village in the municipality of Tricase, in the province of Lecce, in lower Salento. Every July, the historic center of the village, and Piazza Castello in particular, comes alive for an evening dedicated to one of the most beloved symbols of Salento's peasant cuisine.

The simeddha, cousin of the scéblasti

The simeddha is a rustic, flattened loaf, a local variation of the historic scéblasti: crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, it is made with durum wheat flour and sourdough, then baked in wood-fired ovens. In its simplest version, it is seasoned with black olives, while the richer version is stuffed with garden vegetables — zucchini, pumpkin, capers, cherry tomatoes, onions, and chili peppers — flavored with olive oil and salt. During the festival, it is baked fresh and served hot, accompanied by local wine.

Folk music and conviviality in the square

The Simeddha Festival is not just about gastronomy: the evening is marked by folk music and Salento pizzica, with live concerts that turn the square into an open-air dance floor. It is a community celebration made of smiles, encounters, and sharing, where the peasant tradition of bread-making intertwines with the musical heritage of Salento.

Depressa and the village of Tricase

Depressa is one of the villages of Tricase, a town in the Capo di Leuca area overlooking the Adriatic and Ionian seas. Its historic center, clustered around the castle that gives the square its name, preserves the authentic atmosphere of lower Salento villages. The festival, which has free admission, is the perfect opportunity to discover this corner of Puglia far from the most crowded tourist routes, combining the exploration of the territory with the taste of simple, ancient bread.