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Culture

The patron saint festival feauturing processions and local culture

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In Italy there’s a big tradition to celebrate the saint who has the role of patron saint in a community. This public holiday varies from town to town, based on the saint celebrated. Depending to the budget, patronal festivals may run from one day to five days. They usually include religious processions but however, elements of local culture as well.

Usually, town members adorn the town streets with colorful decorations, lights and stands. Most patronal festivals feature traditional fairs including parades, artisans, street vendors, regional food stands, amusement rides, live entertainment and fireworks.

Until 40 years ago, this public holiday was time to get together and meet family or relatives who often lived in a different town or city. It was also a time for socialization through folkloristic events and popular games. It was therefore a manifestation of great spiritual and human value. Let’s say that as a celebration it responded to man’s desire and vital need to give space to spirituality and sociality, through manifestations of joy and jubilation, interrupting the monotony of everyday life and the worry of earning money.

Today, of course, it seems that other elements have taken over to leave the field to an almost exclusively commercial, social or folkloristic event, also losing its character as an occasion for meeting and dialogue between members of the same community.

In my home town, May 26th is the day when we celebrate San Fililppo Neri. The festival in honor of San Filippo was introduced in Gioia del Colle in 1703. Following a terrible earthquake in May 1731, which miraculously did not cause any damage to the city, the people of Gioia, grateful for the intercession of the Saint, proclaimed San Filippo Neri as Patron Saint.

Would you like to experience a local festival like that ? Book a tour in the last week of May to experience the main events in town and much more.

Food and wine

A cooking class is an amazing way to experience the local culture

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Most everyone would say the best part of their trip to Italy was the food! Well, why not take a cooking class then and see whether that’s true? A cooking class in Italy is an amazing way to experience a huge part of Italian culture.

Food is such an important part of the local culture and so if you haven’t tried Italian cuisine, then you really haven’t experienced the country in all its glory. In other words travel around the area and learn a lot of the culture that is connected to the specific dishes that are being taught during the class. So make it a wonderful vacationing adventure, learning together and eating your way through Italy.

Traveling on over to this beautiful corner of Southern Italy, you’ll see a land flowing with delicious food and fresh wine. A perfect location then to learn the delicious art of making fresh pasta from scratch. Besides while you’re here, you might check out some boutique wineries producing Primitivo or Negroamaro.

After classes, don’t forget to spend time exploring the areas and finding different restaurants. Opening your pallet and trying new foods can only help make you a better cook. So try to taste each of the different flavors and bring something extra to your cooking experiences!

In a 4 day tour or week tour of Puglia, we offer a lovely cooking class. It’s set in a local farmhouse and the produce we use, comes from the vegetable garden at the “masseria“. Thanks to the fantastic local ingredients, you can rest assured the meals you’ll be making will not only be fresh but healthy, too.

After the preparation of the food, the group sit together on a terrace surrounded by the beautiful countryside, and just like a big Italian family, we take time to enjoy the meal. Anyway, it’s the passion of our cook that makes this class so unforgettable. When you get home, you’ll no doubt be keen to invite friends and family over for dinner, just to impress them with something from your new recepies.

Let’s plan therefore the perfect vacation in Italy cooking and wine tasting and truly treasure the memories that you’ll take home and keep forever.

History

Lecce is the symbol of the Baroque in Puglia

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The Baroque is a highly ornate and elaborate style that flourished in Europe in the 17th and first half of the 18th century. The origin of the name is after the French word barroque, meaning “irregularly shaped.” At first, the word in French referred mostly to pearls. Eventually, it came to describe an extravagant style of art characterized by curving lines, gilt, and gold.

As artistic style, it was born in Rome in the 17th century, spread in Spain, then returned to southern Italy through Naples. In Lecce ( the main city in Southern Puglia) it takes on such special characteristics that we have to talk about Lecce Baroque. Lecce is one of Italy’s oldest (2,000 years), most beautiful and richly Baroque cities, also known as the “Florence of the South”.

The Baroque was not only a cultural movement, but also a response to Protestant heresy and the Counter-Reformation, to underline the power and will of Catholics to carry forward their faith. That’s why it is present in most buldings of historic centre, but in churches it reaches its peak.

Walking around Lecce, you’d see detailed lion heads supporting balconies, the “embroidered” rose windows of the churches, the monumental portals of historical palaces and the very rich decorations inside and outside the basilica. All those decorations and buldings are made of a cream-colored limestone called “Lecce stone” that is easy to carve.

The Lecce stone, which shows a straw yellow color during the day, manages to transform as the hours pass and when the sunset gets closer. Therefore the streets and sqaures of the city can become romantic and intimate in the evening, when that stone acquires orange, soft and delicate tones, similar to no other one.

Come and visit Puglia with us to exlpore Lecce and further beautiful places of this lovely region.

Culture

September is a special month for any winery

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September is getting closer and for winemakers it is a decisive month for the fate of any winery. In reality, the harvest is much more than that. It is a moment full of charm and history. For centuries, it has been a social ceremony of primary importance, an occasion for aggregation, sharing and celebration.

The first evidence of the grape harvest dates back to 10,000 BC. in the areas of the Fertile Crescent. Here the grape harvest was part of a real religious ceremony thanking the gods for the fruits reserved by the earth to men.

In Ancient Rome, the so-called “Vinalia Rustica” was celebrated on August 19th: a festival in honor of Jupiter who ritually began the harvest. Interestingly, on those days, all other activities were suspended. Therefore the entire family or family circle gathered to dedicate themselves solely to work in the fields. Hence the social and convivial character of this activity, also designed to unite, to celebrate and to spend time together.

Lastly, till the ’60s, the grape harvest was one of the few opportunity for social meeting between boys and girls.

Every year in Puglia there are many wineries that take part in the organized event “Cantine Aperte in Vendemmia”. It’s an unmissable opportunity for all enthusiasts who want to discover the secrets of the grape harvest at the local wineries. Thus visitors have the opportunity to do a tour of the vineyards, enjoy a guided tasting of the wines and learn the tricks of the business directly from the producers.

Speaking of Apulian wines, they are among the most awarded wines on the Italian peninsula. In 2023, the wine guide Gambero Rosso gave “3 glasses” ( the highest vote ) to 26 wines of Puglia. Join our tour and you’ll have a taste of delicious local wines, you’ll visit family-run wineries and more.

Food and wine

Origins of the most appreciated wines of Puglia

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The Apulian vineyard area is 87,000 hectares in total and guarantees a production of 4,900,000 hectoliters per year. Apulian red and rosé wines cover the majority of production (65%), while white wines only account for 35%.

One of the strong points of Puglia wines is the climate. In this region the sun shines and is present not only in the summer period but throughout the year. This means that the soil, as well as the fruit trees, can benefit from it, giving rise to juicy and very tasty products. The white and red grapes of Puglia, in fact, are known for being intense in color and very persistent in the mouth. Hence until the early 1990s, they primarily use them as a base for other less full-bodied national wines that needed greater intensity.

The native varieties still present in Puglia today such as Nero di Troia ( or Troy the mythological city ) and Negroamaro, trace the presence of the vine in Puglia already during the Greek colonization, in the 8th century BC. It was the Greeks themselves who also imported the cultivation method defined as “alberello” ( bush vine ), which is still widespread today throughout the regional territory. The real value of Apulian wine was highlighted around 1990, when the producers of Apulian wines realized the potential of their wines.

Among the most appreciated Apulian wines there is certainly Primitivo. With an orange-purple color, it is persistent on the palate and very consistent. Negroamaro, a more typical grape of Southern Puglia, is intense color, with violet reflections. It recalls aromas of ripe fruit such as plum, black cherry and cherry. Not to forget the characteristic Aleatico, a DOC red wine, more velvety than the previous two wines but much appreciated.

Join our tour and you’ll have a taste of delicious local wines and you’ll visit family-run wineries and more.

Nature

Puglia has some of the oldest olive trees in Italy

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Puglia is the region that produces the most olive oil in Italy: depending on the year of harvest, between 40% and 50% of national production. Besides in this region there are some of the oldest olive trees in Italy. The true king of Apulian olives is in Vernole. This majestic tree has a circumference of 14 meters and is estimated to be over 1400-year-old.

A sacred plant among all Mediterranean civilizations, it has been a symbol of peace since the most remote times. It is documented that since prehistoric times, the ancient Messapians were probably the first to introduce the cultivation of olive trees in Puglia. Starting around 3000 years ago, in different areas of Puglia, they began to graft wild olive trees with the more productive domestic olive tree to obtain olives for the prized oil.

The centuries-old olive tree of Puglia, in addition to being the main source of olives used to produce extra virgin olive oil, also represents a spectacle of nature. Those trees form incredible artistic forests thanks to their trunks looking like scupltures. Each tree contains a unique story and is the expression of an extraordinary nature that has lived and resisted for hundreds of years of history. This is why the olive trees of Puglia have been recognized as a UNESCO heritage site.

They don’t cultivate olive trees only for their precious yellow gold, but also for the use of their leaves, bark and stones. For example, olive stones are an excellent fuel and the leaves of the plant, crushed, release a set of excellent substances for lowering blood pressure. Finally, olive wood is very hard but easy to sand. Therefore it is used to make art objects and sturdy furniture.

For all the reasons above, the olive tree, one of the most precious and important resources for Apulian agriculture, in the coat of arms also becomes a sign of unity of the entire region, from north to south.

Join our food tour and take the opportunity to taste a unique extra virgin olive oil and touring around Puglia, you’ll admire those ancient wooden sculptures designed by Mother Nature.

Food and wine

Tiramisù, the first Italian dessert in the world

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Tiramisù is one of the most popular desserts in the world, it is the fifth word of Italian cuisine best known abroad, the first for desserts. Etymology of the word Tiramisu: lift me up, strengthen my body.

Tiramisu is a traditional dessert widespread throughout Italy, whose origins are debated and attributed above all to Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It is a spoon dessert based on ladyfingers (or other biscuits with a crumbly consistency) soaked in coffee and covered with a cream, composed of mascarpone, eggs and sugar. The tiramisu recipe is not present in cookbooks prior to the 1960s. This allows us to assume that tiramisu, as we know it now, is a recent invention.

The grandmothers tell us that they prepared this dessert with art and passion for family and friends, well before the 1950s. So, before the spread of electricity and the first refrigerators, they had this dessert, only in the province of Treviso and surrounding areas. In fact, due to the fresh ingredients, tiramisù did not have a long shelf life.

The history of this dessert teaches us to ennoble poor foods such as mascarpone (probably from the Lombard “mascherpa” which means ricotta, but it is not ricotta). Mascarpone is an acidified milk cream obtained from cream or milk cream. According to some historians, the origin of this cheese dates back to the medieval period. Its name derives from an expression used by a Spanish nobleman of the 1200s who said “Mas che bueno” (more than good).

World Tiramisu Day is on March 21st. The first day of spring and the day of dessert that recharges you for the new season like a tonic.

In Puglia an ancient traditional recipe, replaces the ladyfingers biscuits ( intended to rich families ) with bread since the roots of our cuisine, are in the farmers’ traditions made of simple foods. Contact us for a guided tour of the sites and the food of Puglia.

Culture

“Piazza” from symbol of democracy to relaxing coffee time

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After our daily tour, some guests go out for a walk or dinner in one of the many good local restaurants. Passing by the town’s square, they always see small groups of elderly men chatting among themselves or walking back and forth. “But where are the women?” is the classic question they ask me when we meet the following morning.

Groups of elderly men meeting in the square, is an image that represents the culture and tradition of beautiful Southern Italy. Today for many tourists the local squares represent the perfect opportunity to drink a coffee and do some people-watching.

In all historical eras the square was as a place and meeting center for citizens, mainly carrying out these functions: political (rallies, parliaments), commercial (fairs, markets), religious (processions and sacred representations).

The square was born, in Italy, at the dawn of the Middle Ages either as the churchyard of the Cathedral or as a large area in front of the headquarters of the civil authority. The square, as it appears from the typically Baroque conception, represents the living room of our cities. A place where history, architecture and culture merge and take on the fulcrum of urban life, affirming the identity of a people and strengthening their unity.

Thus, just like when we welcome someone into our home, the square represents the place where the visitor can make himself comfortable and enjoy what is beautiful we have to offer him. This concept has always been extremely linked to Italian tradition and culture, to the point of being exported all over the world.

Above all the square, like public spaces in general, is a spontaneous meeting place and for this reason it is a symbol of democracy. Therefore it is no coincidence that the Agora was the place used for public political meetings in ancient Greece, the society in which this concept was born.

Check out our full list of Puglia tours for a visit to our local beautiful squares and more.

Food and wine

What’s a slow food restaurant?

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One of the most common question when people read the kind of restaurants that I select for my tours, is: “what’s a slow food restaurant?”.

It’s a restaurant where they support and preserve traditional and regional cuisine.  It supports, promotes local small businesses/producers and sustainable foods. It also focuses on food quality, rather than quantity.

Carlo Petrini founded Slow Food in Italy in 1986. Today it’s a worldwide organization that promotes local food and traditional cooking. This is what you can read on their website:

“Slow Food envisions a world in which all people can access and enjoy food that is good for them, good for those who grow it and good for the planet. Our approach is based on a concept of food that is defined by three interconnected principles. And so good ( quality, flavorsome and healthy food), clean ( production that does not harm the environment ) and fair ( accessible prices for consumers and fair conditions and pay for producers ).

Slow Food aims to prevent the disappearance of local food cultures and traditions. It counteracts the rise of fast life and combats people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from and how our food choices affect the world around us.

Slow Food believes food has a lot to do with many other aspects of life, including culture, politics, agriculture and the environment. Through our food choices we can collectively influence how food is cultivated, produced and distributed, and change the world as a result”.

“Eating is an agriculture act” says Wendell Berry ( American poet and novelist). In other words, you have political power in your everyday actions. When you decide what you’re going to eat, what you’re going to buy, you have real influence. 

So are you ready to change the world eating good food ? Book our tour today to support Slow Food restaurants and get a tasty food and wine experience in Puglia 🙂

History

Puglia a gateway to the East in Crusades time

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Seven wars banned by Christians against Muslims to liberate the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem began between the 11th and 13th centuries, they are the Crusades.

Puglia was an important transit point for crusaders and pilgrims since it has always been a crossroads of peoples and cultures of the Mediterranean and a gateway to the East. Its churches, its palaces and its history of that Middle Age, which has always been rich in charm and mystery, bear witness to this.

It was, therefore, already in the first years of the Order’s life that the Templars established their domus or mansions along the transit routes to Jerusalem. As a matter of fact, the idea of the Order itself was born to defend and assist the pilgrims who went to the Holy Places. And the ports of Brindisi and Bari were the most used for departures towards the Holy Land.

To this day there are still many traces of the ancient presence of Crusaders in Puglia, some are clearly visible, others have been hidden. Many churches of this region, or many ancient buildings, have patent crosses attributable to the Knights Templar. On a tombstone of Santa Maria del Tempio in Lecce, there is an abbreviated Latin text that reads “If God is with us, who is against us?”. It later became one of the Templar mottos. In Brindisi, the last stop before the Holy Land, the Crusader left a great cultural heritage as the Holy Sepulcher and the mosaic on the floor of the cathedral which represents the battle of Roncisivalle.

Not just knights but pilgrims too left their mark in Puglia on their way to Jerusalem. Their route included the Via Traiana built between 108 and 110 A.D. The route goes from Bari to Brindisi passing through Egnazia where pilgrims heading to Jerusalem, in fact, stopped in some hospices or chapels to pray.

Check out our Puglia tours for a visit to the Knights Templar church in Trani and more.