Partying Snails – The Sagra of the Munnicchedda in Cannole (LE)

Last week, we listed all the August events in Salento, we left you with a bit of mystery about one of the most important summer holidays in the hinterland of Lecce.

We are talking about an event of great resonance (the small village in question can accommodate up to 70,000 people), which starts from a tiny being, but extremely cute: the Munnichedda?

Right, maybe the slang name does not tell you anything … Okay, how about snails?

Yes, that’s right, in Cannole (LE) between August 10th and 13th is the Munnicchedda Festival, the snail festival.

Maybe for someone, the idea of ​​eating small crawling animals is not very exciting, yet the snail, the one from Cannole has a truly unique and inviting flavor.

The dishes based on this delicious gastropod were already known in pre-Christian times. Hesiod called the snails “portacasa (house-carrier)”, perfect name if we think that these animals actually carry their shell everywhere.

There are about 4000 species in the world of snails, not all edible. In Italy, there are about 400 species, of which only 15 can be eaten. The best known in the gastronomic field is perhaps the French escargot, a large snail seasoned, cooked and sold in the finest restaurants across the Alps.

The Cannole snail is much smaller, it has a delicate and tasty meat. According to folk medicine, it is believed the consumption of snails has powerful digestive benefits: it is believed “the more you eat, the more you digest,”.

To find out if all this is true, just go to Cannole next weekend. You will not only find the snails: there are many events that animate the town. Concerts, Dj Set, gastronomic tastings of typical Salento dishes and a lot of pizzica, to go wild until dawn.

As always, the ideal is to stay near Cannole, in one of our luxury villas, from where you can leave in the evening to the Munnicchedda Festival and experience a real summer weekend in Puglia.

All this must be done slowly, like snails. The festivals are the strength of that slow tourism that we often talk about in our blog and in which we firmly believe.

Let’s take life as snails do. But perhaps you do not need to take the house behind: here in Salento, BeeYond Travel’s villas are waiting for you.

August in Salento: guide to the most beautiful events in the province of Lecce

Even the much desired August has arrived. It’s that time of year when you can unplug and give yourself a well-earned rest after a year’s work.

We at Beeyond Travel recommend our beloved Salento as a holiday destination. Not only because in our luxury villas you can regenerate and recharge your batteries for the next year, but also because in August Salento comes alive with many important events. Events such as the Night of the Taranta in Melpignano and small events and festivals that light up even the smallest towns of vitality.

You cannot get bored, neither during the day nor during the night. And, since the events are really endless, we have selected some for our special guests. We have chosen those that best represent our idea of authentic experience and listed them below.

Sagra of the Cucuzzata in Vitigliano – August 8th

Feast of Our Lady of the Snow in Copertino and Neviano – August 5th: the patronal festivals are the mirror of the tradition of the town that hosts them. The devotion to Santa Maria della Neve is very much felt in Salento. In fact, she is the protector of several villages in the hinterland of Lecce. As in the case of Copertino and Neviano.

Sagra della Puccia in Supersano – August 5th: it is the festival dedicated to the typical Lecce sandwich. A goodness to absolutely taste.

Sagra de li Diavulicchi in Morciano di Leuca – August 8th: for those who want to add a spicy note to their holiday.

The Nights of the Myth in Caprarica – August 10th: a real-time travel in the Messapi times, in a wonderful natural scenery.

Feast of the Munnicchedda in Cannole – August 10th: We leave this one pending. Read the blog next week and you’ll understand why.

The white night at Specchia – August 12th: the village so loved by foreign tourists keeps the lights on even at night.

Feasts of the Assumption and San Rocco in Trepuzzi, Tricase, Ruffano, Castrignano del Capo – August 15th/16th: the two days of Ferragosto are packed with patronal festivals and events. We at Beeyond have chosen these feasts because the villages listed are worthy of being visited even from a historical – architectural point of view. So, why not take advantage of a nice patronal feast?

Watermelon Festival in Nardò and Botrugno – August 17th: it is the summer fruit for excellence. Nice idea to dedicate a festival to it.

Sagra delle Trozzelle Vaste a Poggiardo – August 21st: for the lovers of antiques and terracotta this is the perfect festival. During the Trozzelle Fair, there will be an exhibition of TERRACOTTA and ANTIQUARIATO, and many food stands are set up: with a tasting of grilled meat and good wine from Salento.

Festa di Sant’Oronzo in Lecce – August 24th: We believe we will have to dedicate a special post to this important patronal festival. So, you do not have any excuses not to follow the BeeYond Travel blog. Meanwhile, start to save the date on your To Do List.

The Green night in Andrano – August 31st: during the green night you can walk and stop to taste dishes made with hemp, ancient cereals & local biodiversity of Salento cultivated at km 0.

Of course the best way to experience this rich calendar of events is by staying in one of our luxurious villas so here is the link to all our properties  and if this year the plans don’t allow you to visit this wonderful part of the world, book for next year, our properties go fast so reserve yours now.

Enogastronomy and Festivals: July of flavors in Salento

When this blog was born, our goal was to tell you about Salento from various points of view. This land is a discovery after another and therefore it is almost impossible not to talk about something new every Thursday.

Living the Salento, in summer but also throughout the year, means to mix with all that this territory offers and fall in love with it.

Undoubtedly, one of the main reasons that push the tourist to choose the Salento peninsula as a holiday destination is its food and wine.

Simple and authentic flavors, good wine and fresh fruit: these are the ingredients that ensure Salento and Puglia a place in the top 10 of Italian food and wine destinations.

So, how many people will raise the hand to find out what surprises reserves the month of July from the culinary point of view?

Probably many, and we at BeeYond Travel are here to make the search easier.

Our luxury villas are always the perfect starting point to discover the territory, in the warm summer evenings, the villages dress up for the countless festivals organized by the associations.

Starting from next weekend, the scheduled appointments are many.

Below we list some:

Fish Festival – 14/16 July – Stands, illuminations, the scent of fish and the full-bodied wine are the setting for the marvelous historic center of Porto Cesareo where you can enjoy fish caught from its clear seabed, fried, grilled or raw, accompanied by a glass of excellent Salento wine.

Festival of Ancient Flavors – July 15th and 16th – At San Pietro in Lama, the ancient traditions, the recipes handed down from generation to generation, the gastronomic specialties of Salento will lead you to discover the ancient and unforgettable flavors of Salento.

Potato Festival – July 16th and 17th – Parabita hosts, among dances and folk shows, a food and wine festival dedicated to typical Salento dishes based on potatoes, tuber grown in the territory and dear to the rural tradition for its low cost and important nutritional properties.

Sagra te li Paniri – July 16/18 – In Miggiano, in the heart of Salento, an ancient territory inhabited since prehistoric times, Paniri intertwine, baskets made by hand and hand-woven with great skill and with the use of reeds and olive rushes. Between 16 and 18 July you will discover all the secrets and maybe even learn to weave one.

Sagra della Peperonata – July 19th – In Cerfignano, a hamlet of Santa Cesarea Terme, peppers are the masters. The Salento peperonata is very popular.

Sagra della Puccia – July 22nd – In Ugento it is dedicated to one of the most loved typical Salento products, the puccia, a bread baked in durum wheat, a mixture of flour, water, salt and black olives, the festival that takes place in Ugento on July 22nd.

Sagra te la Purpetta – July 30th  – In Montegrappa, part of Tuglie, the queen is the meatball. Expression of the typical flavors of Salento, the farmer´s culinary fantasy, capable of obtaining exquisite dishes from a few and poor ingredients, the meatball is a delight capable of enchanting every palate.

In short, you have no excuse: Salento will be your destination for the summer. BeeYond Travel will take care of your stay in one of our exclusive accommodations. You want authentic emotions, we will help you craft them.

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