Theatre, music, dance and local storytelling at Castello Volante

From Friday 27 to Sunday 29 March, the Castello Volante in Corigliano d’Otranto is hosting three events, each with its own distinct style and atmosphere, spanning theatre, music, dance and local storytelling.

The programme kicks off on Friday 27 March (9.00 pm | info and table bookings: 3343429268⁣ – nuvole@ilcastellovolante.it) at Nuvole, a bistro and cocktail bar on the castle’s terraces, with ‘Murder Mystery Dinner’, a format created by Improvvisart that combines the pleasures of fine dining with theatrical entertainment and suspense. The evening will begin in a seemingly peaceful atmosphere, but this is set to change abruptly when a terrible murder takes place right in front of the diners. From that moment on, the audience will be drawn into a story of love, passion, family relationships, financial interests, betrayals and double-crosses, in a plot that blends fine dining, mystery and audience participation. The tasting menu (35 euros, drinks not included) features a potato flan baked with a Parmesan fondue, basil-flavoured capunti with chunks of sausage, rocket and flaked Parmesan, pork loin stuffed with speck lard, oven-baked potatoes with sage, and dark chocolate panna cotta with caramelised orange. A vegan option is also available (€30, drinks not included) featuring a potato flan with vegetables and pulses on a bed of tofu fondue, basil-flavoured capunti with confit cherry tomatoes and ‘formaggio povero’, aubergine with mushrooms, served with roast potatoes, thyme and sage, and dark chocolate panna cotta with caramelised orange.

On Saturday 28 March from 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm (info, prices and bookings: 3381095323), Castello Volante will welcome the Tambór Collective for the first time for an afternoon of rhythm, sharing and celebration. An experience open to everyone, conceived as a percussion orchestra and participatory workshop, where you can let yourself be swept away by the sounds of Colombian cumbia, samba de caboclo and tammurriata. No previous experience is required, nor is it necessary to bring your own instruments, although anyone with a percussion instrument is welcome to bring it along. The special guest for Elena Nel Mondo’s artistic project will be the dancer Francesca Carotenuto, who will guide the audience in discovering the infectious rhythm of the tammurriata.

The weekend will conclude on Sunday 29 March at 6.00 pm (free entry | info 3332368484) with a new instalment of ‘Leggimi la Puglia’. The event, organised by the InfoPoint in collaboration with the Bookshop, will host the official launch of “Un altro Salento – Carta non solo turistica”, a publication by Kurumuny, the Bianca Guidetti Serra Association and ECOR. The map offers a different perspective on the region, moving away from the more conventional tourist narrative, and invites readers to consider what is often left on the margins of the dominant narrative: environmental issues, social conflicts, major infrastructure projects with significant impacts, privatisation processes and transformations that affect the landscape, health and quality of life. This collective work seeks to restore complexity to a region that is all too often portrayed solely through its natural beauty. The event, organised by unAltra in collaboration with Magma APS, will feature contributions from Alberto Giammaruco, the project’s creator and graphic designer; Paola Rollo, illustrator; Alessandra Cecchi, author of the texts; Giovanni Chiriatti representing Kurumuny, and Rino Carluccio, an expert in urban planning, local development and participatory urban design methodologies, alongside groups, associations and committees involved in environmental disputes and campaigns against large-scale fossil fuel projects in the region.

INFOPOINT, BOOKSHOP AND NUVOLE
Tuesday to Friday from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm (info and bookings: 3519137972), visitors can explore the Castle and the village through the experiences offered by the Infopoint, a place where all travellers are made to feel welcome. The bookshop will also be open; it was recently awarded the RO.ME Museum Exhibition – Italian Museum Bookshop 2025 Prize, offering a selection of the best local and national publications and showcasing regional creativity.