Wandering Poetry Festival - Words and the Road

A festival that makes poetry walk

The Wandering Poetry Festival - Words and the Road is an event dedicated to contemporary poetry that brings the Municipality of San Donato di Lecce and its hamlet Galugnano to life every September. Located in the province of Lecce, in the heart of the Salento region, the festival is built on a simple yet powerful idea: taking poetry off the pages of books and returning it to the streets, squares, churches, and courtyards of the town, turning everyday spaces into meeting points for shared listening.

Poets and musicians from Puglia and beyond

Each edition brings together diverse voices: established and emerging poets, scholars, publishers, and musicians who accompany the readings with guitars and other instruments. The festival weaves words and music into a dialogue that is both intimate and collective, designed to reach both seasoned enthusiasts and those approaching poetry for the first time. International guests also feature, bringing the richness of other languages and poetic traditions to Salento.

The festival venues

The evenings take place in some of the most evocative corners of the area:

• The small squares of the town center, such as the one on Via Milano in San Donato di Lecce;
• The Baroque Church of the Annunziata in Galugnano, a stunning backdrop for evening readings;
• The "Gino Perrone" City Library, a community space dedicated to books and reading.

A community network

The festival is promoted by the Presìdio del Libro of San Donato di Lecce together with the municipal administration, with the collaboration of local entities such as the Artenoa cultural association, the ACT Salento association (Art, Culture, Territory), the "Gino Perrone" Library, and various local businesses. This network makes the event a true community laboratory, enhancing the urban and cultural heritage of this Salento town while actively involving citizens and visitors.

A free event in Salento

The evenings of the Wandering Poetry Festival are free to attend and take place in the evening, when the temperatures of the Puglian September make it pleasant to gather outdoors. For those visiting Salento, the festival is a precious opportunity to discover a less touristy, more authentic side of this land, rooted in words, literary tradition, and hospitality.