Lu Panieri

Since the Middle Ages, the Feast of Our Lady of Cerrate has been inextricably linked to the traditional fair 'Lu Panieri'. Originally a modest market of doughnuts, toys, crockery and assortments of dried and fresh fruit, today it has expanded to include local crafts, ancient trades and typical local products. The event takes place in the ancient abbey of Cerrate, where around 50 exhibitors showcase their skills and products: from the techniques of chair and basket stuffing, to the delicate arts of embroidery on a loom and tombolo, to the working of ceramics, rush and olive wood. The fair also offers a taste of Salento's 'poor' cuisine, enriched this year with significant novelties, thanks to the support of the FAI. The festival starts on Thursday 25 with a mass at 9 a.m., followed by the official opening of the fair, accompanied by the cheerful melodies of the music of the patron saint's festivals, performed by the Cromatico Quintet, an ensemble of students from the Tito Schipa Conservatory of Lecce. On Friday 26 at 5.30 p.m., there will be a meeting with Gabriella Genisi, author of the famous Lolita Lobosco saga, which offers a fabric of tales and popular traditions. These will be interspersed with songs of love and torment, dirges and serenades, performed in dialect and grico by Anna Cinzia Villani. During the days of the event, it is also possible to visit the Abbey, an ancient Byzantine monastery later converted into a masseria.

The fair can be visited from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., subject to availability.

Guided tours take place at the following times: Thursday 25 April at 10 a.m., 11.30 a.m., 4 p.m. and 5.30 p.m.; Friday 26 April at 10 a.m., 11.30 a.m., 3.30 p.m. and 4.30 p.m.

Admission: €8.50, reduced €4; Fai members and the disabled free.

Info: 0832/361176.