After spending several days in Salento, the south-east district of Apulia, (Puglia in Italian), also known as the heel of the boot of Italy, I left inspired.
Not by mountains as I usually am, nor the expansive views of the Adriatic sea. It’s not even the medieval villages. Don’t get me wrong, Salento has coastline for miles and miles an I would love to come back and do a coastal cycling trip here. On a really clear day you can even just make out Albania. And the villages!!! I could spend days strolling along the cobblestone streets, stopping in for cappuccino after cappuccino, inevitably the wrong hour – by Italian standards anyway. But on this particular trip, all the things that usually inspire me are playing second fiddle….to the people. The people of Salento are unlike any people I’ve ever met and that’s the whole purpose of Agrifuedi which offers unique trips in which:
the travel experience is an immersion in the heart and spirit of the places and the native people
Let me introduce you to a few Salento citizens and you’ll see what I mean:
Craftsmen carry on the long tradition of their crafts rooted deep into the culture of Salento. They keep the traditions alive, often using techniques that have changed little over hundreds of years:
A visit to one of the master paper mache makers, whose process has remained virtually the same over centuries.
Mosaic tiled tree of life floor in Otranto Cathedral. Can you imagine the craftsmanship it took to design and implement such an elaborate design?
A clay factory in Salento where each piece is painted by hand under the inspection of master craftsman Augstino pictured upper right. Agrifeudi can also organize a class for you, so that you become a participant instead of merely a spectator.
One of the highlights of my visit to Salento was a re-enactment of the Taranta. I have never seen anything like it and was entranced through the entire performance. It starts with a broken-down ostracized woman, who is gradually brought back to life by the music, undergoing convulsions and setbacks along the way, until finally she progresses to a full-out joy dance, celebrating life. The name Taranta refers to a tarantula, and the spider bite is a metaphor for whatever tragic happened to the woman. It’s a ritual that dates back to the 17th century and occurred until as recently as 50 years ago. Our performance was done by the Itaca Min Fars Hus experimental theater group. It was exceptional. You could feel the woman’s pain and recovery. Highly recommended!
Re-enactment of the Taranta, a ritual where music is used as therapy to revive an ostracized woman.
I also got in the action, pulling myself through a rebirthing rock located in a small unassuming church. Safe to say that this created another emotional experience which Agrifuedi’s unique programs promise to do, but that’s a story deserving of its own entire post….stay tuned.
Me in the “rebirthing” stone in a church in Martano
Then there was the wine…oh the wine. Or more accurately the award-winning wines of L’Astore Masseria located in Cutrofiano, which they served with huge fresh balls of buffalo mozzarella cheese. That is my idea of heaven! Besides, don’t some of life’s finest moments happen over a glance of wine? Mine do. It’s so good you may just find yourself ordering a case to relive the taste back at home.
Incredible award-winning wines of L’Astore which we drank alongside the largest buffalo mozzarella balls I have ever seen. Pure heaven!
Then there’s Bio Natralis Resort. Not only is it a resort, it’s also a beauty company where aloe vera plants are grown on site and a key ingredient in their high-end products, which I’m loving!!! Even more so, I connected with the owner and related to his business philosophy which focuses on quality, passionate and doing his part to make Italy a more prosperous place. His enthusiasm for his work was contagious, and a quality I observed in many Salento citizens.
Fresh aloe vera is a key ingredient in the beauty products of Bio Naturalis
Finally the music of Salento. It was everywhere!
Instead of losing old folk songs, citizens are bringing it back ensuring that centuries old songs and dances continue to be relevant in Salento culture and not muted by today’s pop songs. I have so much respect for these musicians for reviving it.
How are your dancing skills? I have two left feet, but enjoyed watching her perform this traditional folk song and dance:
This singer had one of the most beautiful voices I heard while in Salento. It’s hauntingly beautiful don’t you think?
Lastly, I was also inspired by our group of explorers and along the way learned that a rootist as Agrifeudi likes to call their visitors, has an entirely different meaning in Australia, thanks to Annabel Candy from Get in the Hot Spot. I also reunited with fellow Canadian Cheryl Howard for what was our third time traveling in Italy together and exchanged inspirations with Katja Presnal from Skimbaco Lifestyle…naturally over our shared loved of wine.
Our group from Agrifuedi, journalists and travel bloggers who explored Salento together. I’m third from the left.
I left Salento with the rhythm of the music staying with me long past the last drum beat and with the remembrance of the proud craftsmen as they explained how they had purposefully continued their craft in the traditional way. And most importantly inspired as I brought back a little part of the spirit of Salento.
Note: Special thanks to Agrifuedi for my emotional journey. As always, all opinions expressed are my own. All the experiences mentioned above can be booked directly through their website.
&locale;&layout;&action;&width;&height;&colorscheme;
