VITIGLIANO: Cucuzzata, Luxury Villas and Traditions in Salento

Salento: a cluster of characteristic villages that branch off to the shores of the sea, which here is a crystalline color, almost imperceptible.

Salento is that corner of the world that the world itself envies us, for its culture, its food and wine, its perfumes and its simple soul.

The pressing rhythm of the pizzica punctuates the moments of the day and completes it, in a perfect combination of music and everyday life.

In this climate rises the first of the villages that we want to introduce you to: Vitigliano, part of the well known Santa Cesarea Terme.

The town has only 1,040 inhabitants and is about 4 kilometers from some of the main towns on the eastern side of Salento, among which it is good to mention Castro, where you will find the famous Grotta della Zinzulusa.

Its distance from the coastal life of the Salento coast makes it perfect for spending holidays in complete tranquility, perhaps staying at La Casa degli Affetti, luxury villa in the heart of the countryside of Vitigliano.

Here in Vitigliano you can lose yourself in a lovely old town, which dates back to the last reconstruction in the 1700s. Traces of the Messapian past of the area are still identifiable especially in the presence of some megalithic testimonies dating back to the Bronze Age that are scattered throughout the territory.

While, starting from the 1700s, the town was enriched by numerous stately buildings, such as Palazzo Ciullo, and by the Chiesa Matrice dedicated to San Michele Arcangelo.

In this city there is a strong echo of the traditions, above all religious: first of all there is the Festa di San Rocco on August 21st and 22nd. The devotion to the holy pilgrim is deeply felt throughout Puglia. In Vitigliano the celebrations start very soon, with the band playing in all the streets. On the evening of the 21st, there is the first procession in which the two patrons of Vitigliano, San Rocco, and the Madonna dell’Assunta, are led to the Chiesa Matrice, leaving the statue of the Virgin to enter last. The second day, which opens with the fireworks, will end with a second procession that brings the two statues to their respective churches.

From the point of view of food and wine, however, it is very important the Sagra della Cucuzzata: a loaf of bread cooked with zucchini, black olives, tomatoes and chilli.

The Sagra, always in August, is very popular in the area and attracts many tourists and curious people every year.

In short, Vitigliano can really amaze you, just choose the right dates and the right villas like La Casa degli Affetti