Visioni dal Paese Grande
The theatre and cultural festival by Astràgali Teatro in San Cesario di Lecce
About Visioni dal Paese Grande
A new festival in the heart of Salento
Visioni dal Paese Grande is the new theatre and cultural festival conceived and promoted by Astràgali Teatro in San Cesario di Lecce, a town in the province of Lecce in the heart of Salento, Puglia. Since its first edition in 2026, the event has offered a widespread cultural journey winding through the town's most significant locations, from March 4th to July 1st.
The title evokes the idea of a "great country"—a small community capable of opening itself to the world through art. The festival was born from the meeting of two projects supported by public bodies: Teatri a Sud, promoted by the Ministry of Culture and the Puglia Region, and Da qui si vede tutta la città, funded by the Development and Cohesion Fund and the National Fund for Youth Policies.
The festival venues
The events are distributed across three venues that are symbolic of San Cesario's identity:
- Distilleria De Giorgi, an ancient restored factory that has hosted the continuous programming of Astràgali Teatro for years, serving as the heart of evening performances and children's theatre;
- Luigi Lezzi Civic Museum of Contemporary Art, which hosts the cycle dedicated to sounds, bodies, and visual arts;
- Former Council Chamber of the Ducal Palace, a space dedicated to literature, photography, and local history meetings.
A multidisciplinary program
The lineup weaves different languages into a single cultural fabric. The cycle In alto, suoni, corpi, visioni, curated by the Petrolio association, combines experimental music and visual arts; the evening shows at the Distilleria range from narrative theatre (Novecento by Pierluigi Mele, based on Alessandro Baricco's novel) to civil and memory theatre (La Resistenza. Canti per la Festa della Liberazione, Storia di un'amicizia – Per Brecht).
Ample space is dedicated to younger audiences with the children's theatre section and to the languages of photography and literature, with meetings, presentations, and participatory projects such as the Literary and Artistic Cartography of San Cesario di Lecce. The festival thus becomes an opportunity to re-read the town, its history, and its community through the lens of contemporary art.
San Cesario di Lecce and Salento
A few kilometres from Lecce, San Cesario di Lecce preserves a historic centre with noble palaces, Baroque churches, and the ancient tradition of distilleries. Visioni dal Paese Grande fits into this context, enhancing local heritage and strengthening the bond between culture, community, and the Salento territory.
Visioni dal Paese Grande — edition 2026
The 2026 edition, the first of the festival, opened on March 4 at the Luigi Lezzi Civic Museum with the cycle In alto, suoni, corpi, visioni curated by the Petrolio association. The evening program at the Distilleria De Giorgi featured, among others, Novecento by Pierluigi Mele (based on Baricco's novel), La Resistenza. Canti per la Festa della Liberazione, Santissima mia by Compagnia Errare Persona, and L'immaginazione al potere. The section dedicated to children's theatre and the literature and photography meetings at the Ducal Palace completed the journey, which concluded in early July.
Programme Visioni dal Paese Grande 2026
Cycle "In alto, suoni, corpi, visioni" — Luigi Lezzi Museum
- March 4 (7:00 PM): opening with Michele Sambin
- March 18: "Canti Magnetici" by Donato Epiro and Gaspare Sammartano
- April 1: Nicola Pignatelli and Davide Faggiano
Evening performances — Distilleria De Giorgi (8:30 PM)
- March 21: "Novecento" by Pierluigi Mele (based on A. Baricco's novel)
- March 25 (7:00 PM): performance "Argia – l'Arte, il Rito e la Cura"
- March 26: "Per non farla finita con Antonin Artaud" (Teatro Naturale)
- April 10: "Il Sei-Dita" with Antonio Ammirabile
- April 25: "La Resistenza. Canti per la Festa della Liberazione"
- May 7: "Storia di un'amicizia – Per Brecht"
- May 9: "Santissima mia" (Compagnia Errare Persona)
- May 22-23: "L'immaginazione al potere"
Children's theatre — Distilleria De Giorgi (5:30 PM)
- March 22: "Ari Ari"
- March 29: "Cappuccetto bambina impertinente"
- April 12: "Matilda, la Balena MangiaSpazzatura"
- April 19: "Persi tra le stelle"
- May 10: "Topalia"
Literature and photography — Ducal Palace
- March 10: "Dal Muro al Mare, il Pesciolino di Leandro" (Leonello Bertolucci)
- March 13: "Una Storia di Colori e Libertà" (Loredana Moretti)
- March 20: "La traccia come dispositivo" (Alice Caracciolo)
- March 31: "Ho ancora le mani per scrivere"
- April 22: "La Vita in un Giorno" (Romano Sambati)
- May 20: project "Literary and Artistic Cartography of San Cesario di Lecce"
- June 5: focus group "Il Museo Incontra La Città"
Highlights Visioni dal Paese Grande 2026
- First edition of the festival, a widespread cultural journey in three historic venues
- "Novecento" based on the novel by Alessandro Baricco with Pierluigi Mele
- Music and visual arts cycle "In alto, suoni, corpi, visioni"
- Rich children's theatre section at the Distilleria De Giorgi
- Literature, photography, and local history meetings at the Ducal Palace
Prices Visioni dal Paese Grande 2026
Practical information — Visioni dal Paese Grande
Where
Events take place in San Cesario di Lecce (LE), Puglia, across three venues: Distilleria De Giorgi (Via Vittorio Emanuele III, 86), Luigi Lezzi Civic Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Former Council Chamber of the Ducal Palace.
How to get there
San Cesario di Lecce is about 8 km from Lecce. By car, it can be reached via the SS 16 or the Lecce ring road; the nearest train station is Lecce, served by Trenitalia, from where you can continue by bus or taxi. The reference airport is Brindisi-Salento (about 45 km away).
Information and contacts
Organised by Astràgali Teatro. For schedules, reservations, and details on individual appointments: tel. +39 389 2105991, email [email protected], website www.astragali.it.
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Where does it take place — Visioni dal Paese Grande
Distilleria De Giorgi
Via Vittorio Emanuele III, 86, 73016 San Cesario di Lecce