Pezze di Greco: Cave Village, Fig Tradition and Churches

Pezze di Greco brings together a cave settlement, farming culture and local architectural history. When planning your trip, these themes offer different ways to explore the place: Lama del Trappeto represents the cave village and its walking route, the Fiorone a local tradition, and the museum and churches further facets of the town’s history.

Cave village and living nativity scene

The historical and cultural walking route in Lama del Trappeto leads through the cave village. The cave dwellings there have been suitable for settlement since the Middle Ages. Alongside this medieval suitability for settlement is a much more recent event tradition: the living nativity scene in Pezze di Greco has been performed since 1987 and takes place in the caves of Lama del Trappeto. Hot pettole are prepared on site during the nativity scene, and visitors can try them. The specific food offerings may vary from one edition to the next.

Fiorone and farming tradition

Another local tradition is the Sagra del Fiorone, held annually in Pezze di Greco in mid-June. If you would like to combine your trip with the festival, check the dates for the relevant edition. The cultivation of the Petrelli fig variety, also known as Fiorone di Torre Canne (culumbr), shapes some areas of the plain, with monumental olive trees between Pezze di Greco, Pozzo Faceto, Speziale and Montalbano, as well as along the coastline from the Morelli River to Torre Canne. The dialect poem “Allì culumbrair,” dated May 28, 1979, is dedicated to the fig growers of Pezze di Greco and supports the tradition of the Fiorone di Torre Canne. The festival, cultivation and poem reflect different cultural connections to the Fiorone: as an event, as part of the landscape and as a subject of local dialect.

Museum and everyday history

The Museo Laboratorio della civiltà contadina di Pezze di Greco houses hundreds of almost-forgotten tools and everyday objects. The museum presents the history and customs of the local farming community. The collection gives the subject a material dimension, while its focus on history and customs offers a perspective that extends beyond individual objects. The museum occupies two floors and includes workshop spaces and a small children’s library. For a cultural focus on farming history, this place brings everyday objects together with their thematic context.

Churches and architectural history

The small church of Sacro Cuore di Gesù, on the corner of the square, was built by Giuseppe Fanigliulo in 1847. The Chiesetta di S. Maria del Carmelo on Corso Nazionale was begun in 1858. Work was interrupted in 1860 due to the uprisings preceding Italian unification, resumed in 1865 and completed in 1866. Thus, the Sacro Cuore di Gesù has a single year of construction, while Santa Maria del Carmelo has a construction timeline marked by interruption, resumption and completion.

At the Chiesa di Cristo Re, the architectural layout takes precedence over the construction chronology. Its floor plan is shaped like a Latin cross, with three naves and a central altar. The Latin-cross floor plan describes the overall form; the reference to three naves describes the layout of the church interior. The churches can therefore be distinguished both by their construction history and by their spatial design.

Discover more destinations: Torre Canne, Mesagne, Pantanagianni-Pezze Morelli, Lido Specchiolla, Torre Santa Sabina, San Vito Dei Normanni, San Pancrazio Salentino, Ceglie Messapica.

For the main travel overview: Brindisi.