Particularly interesting is the phenomenon of “tarantismo”- an hysterical form of extraordinary scenic impact- and the revival of the cult for the “pizzica”, the traditional music, that once accompanied  the healing rites for the “tarantate”, women that people believed being bitten by tarantulas. Actually, it was an original way of showing hysteria. The anthropologist Ernesto Martino made some historical studies on the phenomenon, that we can now find in the classical text “Viaggio nella terra del rimorso”.
The traditional “pizzica” is a double dancing that, however, must not be danced compulsorily with a partner of the opposite sex. It is easy to see two women dancing together, while nowadays it is more and more rare- almost impossible- to see two men dancing together, even though, in the past, it was more frequent to see two men instead of a man and a woman. An example of two men dancing, can however, be found in the tradition of Ostuni, where one of the two men plays the part of the woman- actually he ironically imitates her. It is important to mention the traditional Danza delle Spade (swords dance), where the pizzica becomes even more the soundtrack of a male and “warrior” psychodrama rather than a  female and sensual one.
In the latest years the phenomenon of pizzica and tarantismo, deprived of its traditional anthropological meaning, in corrupted and modern music forms, has become the most popular and characteristic distinguishing mark of Salento that, by now, exports this music form everywhere.

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