Spotlight on Puglia: Italy's Best-Kept Secret - Christie’s International Real Estate

When planning a trip to Italy, many head for wine- and sun-soaked Tuscany before venturing south to Positano and Ravello along the picturesque Amalfi Coast. But Puglia, with its whitewashed hilltop towns and rich culinary history, is a longtime favorite of vacationing Italians, and should be next on your list to visit—or to take up residence.

Untouched for more than 100 years, Masseria Trapanà has been meticulously restored. Banner image: Alberobello’s conical stone-topped trulli. Photograph: Getty Images

A stylish home away from home
Heavy, bolted wooden doors creak open to reveal the glowing white courtyard of Masseria Trapanà, and as if by magic, soft jazz begins to play and two glasses of perfectly chilled Veuve Clicquot appear as you make your way over the threshold.

The oldest part of the 16th-century Masseria Trapanà is its Chapel of Santa Barbara—known as the protector saint.

Nestled among olive groves, this 24-hectare masseria (farmhouse) has been lovingly restored, with the local tufo and pietra leccese stone interiors opened up by Australian hotelier Rob Potter-Sanders. He fell in love with its crumbling 16th-century courtyard and intact Catholic prayer room while searching for a hotel project in Italy back in 2012.

A maze of alleyways, the historic center of Lecce in Puglia is full of Baroque architecture. Photograph: Getty Images

“Tuscany was completely done,” says Potter-Sanders. “I kept hearing murmurings from Italians about Puglia. They would talk about the great local food, the heat, and the beaches, so I went down there myself and decided as soon as I saw this place that it was the one.”

Historic towns and white-sand beaches
The perfect base from which to explore Puglia’s myriad charms, the masseria is located half an hour’s drive from Lecce, the region’s largest city, and also within easy reach of what’s known as “the Maldives of Puglia,” a necklace of pearl-white sandy beaches strung along the southernmost part of Italy’s heel.

The coast of Puglia is dotted with picturesque towns such as Polignano a Mare, part of the city of Bari on the Adriatic Sea. Photograph: Getty Images

In the opposite direction, gourmands would do well to stop in the bright-white hilltop idyll of Ostuni for a meal at local restaurant Osteria del Tempo Perso. Or linger in Alberobello, a charming town known for its conical, stone-topped homes (trulli).

Food as a focal point
Italy is known for its cucina povera, literally translated as “peasant kitchen,” but in Puglia, making the most of limited food stocks has become an art form. In Bari, scores of nonnas (grandmothers) line the streets with smooth oak boards on their laps, rolling out hundreds of tiny ear-shaped pastas made using semolina and water—no egg or butter at all. These orecchiette are then added to a green sauce of leafy turnip tops or broccoli and local olive oil, making a simple and delicious meal.

Grandmothers line the streets, rolling out tiny ear-shaped pastas

In the south, near Lecce, a dish of fave e cicoria pairs fava beans with wilted chicory and olive oil. (Puglia produces around 40% of Italy’s olive oil.) Meat has historically been scarce in Puglia, but today it’s not uncommon to find slow-cooked lamb ragù and cuts of salami on the menu. And, with Puglia so close to the sea, fish and seafood are in abundance. Hard ricotta and oozing, cream-filled burrata are two must-eat cheeses when visiting this now-bountiful region.

With a convivial dining area, Masseria Trapanà has been designed with recreation and relaxation in mind.

A place to unwind
An abundance of fruit trees native to the region fills the six gardens at Masseria Trapanà. Lemon, lime, fig, pomegranate, plum, and rare cacti surround the croquet lawn. The large vaulted-ceiling common areas of the interior are artfully decorated, and a coffee-table book illustrates the process of the two-year restoration project.

The Brown Suite at Masseria Trapanà is located under the vaulted roof in the oldest part of the property. One of its two entrances leads out to the main courtyard.

Outside, tables are set for lunch and dinner, and a sunken fire pit decked out with huge Berber-style cushions is the perfect spot for a negroni before dinner in the courtyard garden. Rooms are spacious and cool, with enormous wrought-iron beds and luxe linens. On the ground floor, the suites feature private courtyards—some with open-air tubs.

A total of 26 rooms, some with terraces or balconies, are spread over four levels at this noble property in the historical center of Altamura. An ideal modernization project, an open-air interior courtyard is its star attraction—it could become a wonderful boutique residence. On the market with Agenzia Romolini Immobiliare Srl, Christie’s International Real Estate’s exclusive affiliate in Tuscany, Italy.

Extensive groves of olive trees surround this recently restored luxury villa near the historical Castel del Monte. With accommodations, additional rural annexes, a large communal ballroom, and a professional kitchen, this property is a ready-made agriturismo business. On the market with Agenzia Romolini Immobiliare Srl, Christie’s International Real Estate’s exclusive affiliate in Tuscany, Italy.

This property, a 20-minute drive from the coast near Monopoli, has space for 28 beds within seven separate accommodations. Fruit trees, woodland, a vineyard, and nearly a quarter of a square mile of olive groves make for an exciting proposition. On the market with Agenzia Romolini Immobiliare Srl, Christie’s International Real Estate’s exclusive affiliate in Tuscany, Italy.

Now in its second season, Masseria Trapanà encapsulates the slowed-down vibe and understated luxury that characterizes Puglia, with a calm atmosphere and privacy that is near impossible elsewhere on Italy’s coastlines.