The Grecìa Salentina, the Greek soul of Puglia

Thanks to tour of the Greek area (Grecìa Salentina) of Salento you will discover a very ancient part of Salento of Greek Origins.

The cradle of the Griko culture, the Grecìa Salentina invites you to a riveting journey to discovering rock settlement, archaeological areas and underground oil mills.

This astonishing area is still preserving a part of the traditions, language and customs of the ancient Greek peoples who settled here in antiquity.

All the guided tours offered by the school take place in the afternoon after the Italian language course.

The tour of the Greek area includes the guided visit of some of the 9 villages where old Greek is still spoken:

• Visit to some of the historic centres (Corigliano and Castrignano): analysis of the Greek Conception of the Town and life in this area.
• Visit to the most beautiful Greek-Byzanthine Churches (S. Stefano, S. Caterina, the second biggest church in Italy with more frescoes after the Basilica of Assisi): analysis of the Byzanthine frescoes on which the painting of Giotto and Cimabue was based.
• Visit to a “Trullo” analysis of its building and of its symbolic conception.
• Visit to Soleto, the Town of the Witches; Corigliano with its beautiful Castle and the Lucchetti Arch full of strange and old symbols of the ‘500;
• Visit to Sternatia, the Greek town where the Greek old traditions are still alive;
• Visit to an underground olive oil-mill of the XVI Century: analysis of olive-oil production;
• Visit to Melpignano with its old monastery and the charming square. Melpignano is the main centre of the typical folk dance known as “pizzica”, and which has been put on the international music festival map by the “Night of the Tarantula” event, Italy’s largest festival and one of the most important folk culture events in the whole of Europe. The festival is entirely dedicated to the rediscovery and revival of the traditional music of the Salento and its fusion with other music genres, from world music to rock, jazz and even classical music.