Sure! Here’s the translation of the Italian text into English:
**"Ancient Flavors – Wine and Poems from a Time"**
*Vernacular readings, folk music, and tastings at the Library of the Alley*
Sunday, January 18, 2026 – 7:00 PM | Former Convent of Santa Chiara, Brindisi
An evening dedicated to memory, conviviality, and local traditions: on Sunday, January 18, 2026, at 7:00 PM, the Library of the Alley, within the complex of the Former Convent of Santa Chiara, will host the event "Ancient Flavors – Wine and Poems from a Time", an appointment that combines readings in the Brindisi vernacular, live folk music, and tastings of wine and typical products of the area.
The cultural event is conceived, designed, and developed by the Library of the Alley as part of the activities aimed at enhancing intangible heritage and popular memory promoted by the Santa Cultural Space.
The food and wine tasting is part of the project:
“Brindisi Winter Sea”
A project funded by the Puglia Region – POC Puglia 2021–2027
Thematic area 3 – Intervention line 3.2
Enhancement and qualification of the municipal tourist InfoPoint – Year 2025,
as part of the actions to promote the territory and initiatives spread throughout the historic center.
**The Book and the Author**
The protagonist of the meeting will be the book:
“Ancient Flavors: Flavors of a Life that has Passed – A Collection of Poems in the Brindisi Vernacular”
by Silvana Di Emidio, an authentic voice of Brindisi popular poetry.
Through readings and narrative interludes, the author will guide the audience on a journey through 'Brindisi from a time', featuring scenes from daily life, family relationships, recipes, scents, and small rituals that have marked the collective memory of the city, with moments of irony, dialogue, and direct participation from the audience.
Silvana Di Emidio became involved with poetry at a very young age: her first composition was born in 1968 and dedicated to her late mother. After an initial body of work in Italian, she chose the Brindisi vernacular as her preferred expressive tool to narrate the domestic world, social relations, and the popular culture of the territory. Besides poetry, she also writes short theatrical scenes and humorous texts, along with verse narratives of local traditional dishes, transforming food into shared cultural memory.
**Scenic Readings**
A company of interpreters will alternate in the readings, giving voice to the texts in the vernacular and recreating the atmosphere of the homes and squares of the past:
Dario Fioravante
Nina Pisani
Mina Sammarco
Anna Daccico
**Live Folk Music**
Folk songs, traditional rhythms, and folk sounds will accompany the readings, transforming the meeting into a true moment of sharing, where words, music, and memory intertwine in an informal and participatory atmosphere.
The evening will be accompanied by the Manita Trio, featuring:
Alexandro Castrignano – guitar and voice
Oronzo Marseglia – drum and voice
Angelo De Carlo – accordion and voice
**Final Tasting**
At the conclusion of the event, the audience will have the opportunity to participate in a tasting of wine and traditional local products, which is part of the activities program of the Brindisi Winter Sea project, to continue the evening in a convivial atmosphere filled with music, stories, and local flavors.
**Event Organization and Acknowledgments**
The evening is curated by Francesco Mauro, with the support of Luna Cantanna and Giulia Antonaci for the Library of the Alley, and with the technical support of Nicola Bruno.
We extend our gratitude to the Pro Loco of Brindisi for their assistance in communication and dissemination of the initiative.
The event takes place at the Library of the Alley, a community space housed within the Santa Cultural Space, in the monumental complex of the Former Convent of Santa Chiara, a historical site returned to the city as a cultural and social hub.
**Event Information**
Where: Library of the Alley – Former Convent of Santa Chiara, Brindisi - Via Santa Chiara, 2 (Near the Cathedral)
When: Sunday, January 18, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM
Admission: Free until seating is full
Contacts: 0831 15 61 076 (Whatsapp) - bibliotecadelvicolo@gmail.com
Web:
www.bibliotecadelvicolo.it