Puglia is a region that can boast an ancient manual and traditional craft: the production of ceramics and terracotta, present in the territory since 3000 BC.
There are several artistic itineraries in the area, the work of great masters, and many towns engage in this type of craftsmanship; the most renowned are Cutrufiano in the Lecce area, Grottaglie in the province of Taranto, and especially Rutigliano south of Bari, where the eponymous fair is held on the feast of Sant'Antonio Abate.
We travel to the Itria Valley, specifically to Ostuni (Br), to discover terracotta whistles, one of the most symbolic products of Puglia's tradition. The tradition of these whistles is linked to clay processing, which was already used in the Neolithic era. Besides being decorative objects, whistles also have a musical function, as they are said to be a tool that connects man with nature. Furthermore, these whistles can take on a variety of shapes, including animal figures, caricatures of famous figures, and well-known faces from politics, entertainment, and sports.
Reaching the Murge, we arrive in Gravina in Puglia, a city whose symbol is the Cola Cola, a handcrafted terracotta whistle in the shape of a rooster, essentially one of the typical symbols of folk creativity. It is a two-toned terracotta whistle, painted in bright colors, from yellow to green to blue to red. The different colors the instrument is painted symbolize the colors of the earth during spring. Even today, the whistle is used during the feast of the Madonna di Picciano, in the month of May, as a symbol of the birth of the earth and spring.
We reach the climax, in the city par excellence of terracotta whistles, Rutigliano, in the province of Bari. Rutigliano boasts the title of city of art due to its historical, artistic, and cultural heritage, also known as the capital of Terracotta Whistles. Demonstrating the importance of terracotta whistles to the town of Rutigliano, the whistle fair is held every January 17th. According to tradition, on January 17th, during the feast of Saint Anthony the Abbot, protector and patron saint of farmers, every boy would give his beloved a basket of fruit, symbolizing the produce of the land, with a rooster-shaped whistle inside. symbol of virility.