SECOLI TRA GLI ULIVI

theater performance

with Mattia Spedicato

31st August at 20:00, 21:00, 22:00
Anfiteatro Museo Castromediano – Lecce

by Fernando Manno
interpreted by Matteo Spedicato

There is a red thread that ties the story of Mattia Spedicato to that of Fernando Manno: both are
from San Cesario, both emigrated to Rome, both remain deeply connected to their homeland, to its
history and its language. Secoli fra gli ulivi (“Centuries Among the Olive Trees”) is Manno’s only
book—his first and last—published in 1958, the year before he died. He wrote it throughout his life
in fragments: quick portraits, sketches, thoughts and reconsiderations. Antonio Errico described it
as a “book of memory,” a timeless book. In it, Manno’s descriptions of the Salento he lived in give
rise to a dreamlike, almost mythical version of Salento—one that suspends time and becomes a
home for anyone who chooses to stay, to leave, or to arrive. Among etymologies of key words from
the Salento dialect, characteristic animals, sacred icons and foundational places, the attempt is
made to give voice once more to the words of Fernando Manno.

🎟️  TICKETS:

Entrance fee – Single ticket €3