Volìa Cazzata Festival

The Crushed Olive Festival of Martano

In the heart of Grecìa Salentina, in Martano (Lecce, Puglia), the Volìa Cazzata Festival is one of the most anticipated and long-standing autumn events in Salento. Established in 1986, it is considered the oldest and largest olive festival in this corner of Salento, attracting thousands of visitors from across the province and beyond every year.

What is 'volìa cazzata'?

The undisputed star is the volìa cazzata, which translates from the Salento dialect as crushed olive: a green, unripe olive that is hand-crushed and preserved in a brine of water, salt, garlic, celery, orange peel, and wild fennel. It is a simple, humble rural preparation that has become a true gastronomic and cultural institution in Martano.

A tradition growing for nearly forty years

Organized by the Associazione Cosimo Moschettini APS, with the support of the Municipality of Martano, the Province of Lecce, and the Puglia Region, the festival has grown impressively: from about 50 kilos of olives in its first edition to dozens of quintals prepared annually. Since 1996, the event has been twinned with the Risotto Festival of Villimpenta (in the province of Mantua), highlighting a bond that unites two communities and their distinct culinary traditions.

Salento gastronomy on the table

In addition to the olives offered for free tasting, you can enjoy the most authentic flavors of Salento's peasant cuisine under the large marquee set up in Largo Primo Maggio:

• Pittule (fried dough balls) and warm snacks
• Bruschetta with fresh olive oil
• Cicoreddhe con le fave (wild chicory with fava bean purée)
• Horse meat stew in tomato sauce
• Boiled pork and mixed roasts
• Pasticciotti and traditional pastries

Sunday is dedicated to the traditional Sunday Lunch, a convivial moment much loved by visitors.

Folk music, pizzica, and local festivities

The evenings are enlivened by folk music, pizzica, and folk groups, along with shows and bands ranging from 70s-90s hits to ballroom dancing at the balera sotto le stelle (ballroom under the stars). The 2,500-square-meter marquee welcomes over 2,000 people in a warm, family-friendly atmosphere that brings all generations together.

In the heart of Grecìa Salentina

Martano is one of the municipalities of Grecìa Salentina, the area of lower Salento where Griko, an ancient language of Greek origin, has historically been preserved. Visiting the Volìa Cazzata Festival means immersing yourself not only in a celebration of taste but also in a unique cultural heritage of language, songs, and traditions that make this territory truly one-of-a-kind.