The Pìzzica

The Pìzzica

“Some practice dance at home; some in crossroads; some dressed with their best clothes, others half-naked; some with handkerchiefs in their hands or other feminine decorations, others carrying heavy house tools. One of the most barbaric dances is practiced in the water. Undoubtedly, it is accompanied by the repetitive and measured sound of a violin, and by the roll of a drum with castanets, sounds and lilts that form the pìzzica-pìzzica, which is the most ancient and popular dance of our region, whose tradition will never end”: as was written by Giuseppe Gigli in “Superstitions, prejudices and traditions in Otranto” (1893). Continue...