Summer nights in Salento (the southern part of Italy’s Puglia region) have a distinct energy.  In contrast to the sleepy stillness of the afternoon, Salento evenings pulse with life. In the piazzas and courtyards of its sun-soaked villages and in the age-old olive groves, the chorus of cicadas yields to a new melody, composed by the laughter of people and the rhythm of pizzica music.

Pizzica, a traditional dance deeply ingrained in Salento's culture, takes centre stage during the summer nights. Across Salento pizzica has long been intertwined with the daily lives of its people, the percussive pulse of the tamburello their collective cultural heartbeat. An expression of love, work, joy, prayer and liberation.

For visitors to Puglia, taking part in a pizzica evening is a must. Informal dances spring up all over the region, all summer long. But at the heart of these celebrations is the small town of San Vito dei Normanni. From small impromptu gatherings for free, to formal instruction and dance festivals, find out how to take part:

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Tamburello | Vincenzo Gagliani, World Music Adademy, San Vito dei Normanni
Dancer | Andrea de Siena, la Scuola di Pizzica di San Vito
Musicians | Giorgia Santoro and Fabrizio Piepoli

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