Agriturismi – Fantastic Puglia Accommodation Options
One of my favourite ways of enjoying Italy, and especially Puglia, is by staying in an ‘agriturismo’, essentially a farm stay. The agriturismi (agricultural tourism) movement was started in the 1980s as a way of helping farmers to make a little extra money by offering accommodation to tourists in spare rooms or converted buildings. They could do this as long as most of their income was still generated from farming, to ensure the farmland continued to be worked on and preserved. There are now over 20,000 agriturismi in Italy and they have become very popular with tourists; helping farmers and their families flourish in the modern world.
The type of accommodation you might experience varies hugely from basic, rustic lodgings, to luxuriously furnished rooms with all the mod cons and a guest pool and spa. Wherever you choose to stay, you can normally expect excellent value for money B&B accommodation, quite often with the option to dine in the evening. What I enjoy most about staying in an agriturismo is the opportunity to wake up each morning surrounded by countryside and tranquillity, especially welcome after a hard day of sightseeing! They also offer the perfect opportunity to sample food and produce straight from the land around you – what could be better! Staying in an agriturismo is the perfect way to sample the traditions of rural Italy and to meet people who work the land; to really immerse yourself in wonderful Italian culture.
In Puglia, agriturismi are generally called Masserie, (ancient fortified farms or country houses) and were mainly built between the 14th and 18th centuries to protect against invaders. Large structures with courtyards and surrounding walls, Masserie were mini-cities, housing small farming communities. Sometimes the isolated locations of agriturismi in other parts of Italy can result in difficult journeys trying to find your way. In Puglia however, the roads are very quiet and generally spacious, meaning you can stay in a rural idyll with a pleasurable drive to the more touristy parts of the region.
The land surrounding a Masseria usually includes olive groves as the Puglia region produces the most olive oil in Italy; the second largest olive oil producing country in the world! So at any Masseria in Puglia, you can normally sample delicious local and fresh olive oil, along with many other fruits, vegetables, milk, cheese, wine and meat, probably grown organically, if not at the Masseria but within a couple of miles. Considering the current trend of eating seasonally and locally, in my opinion, there are few other places on the planet where you can do this as deliciously and as effortlessly as in Puglia!
PUGLIA PEOPLE: Filippo & Chiara at Masseria Salamina
I would like to introduce you to Filippo and Chiara, brother and sister who own the wonderful Masseria Salamina. Their Masseria is in central Puglia, close to the towns of Cisternino and Ostuni, 10mins drive from the coast and slap bang between the airports of Bari and Brindisi. They aim to show their guests authentic Italian hospitality and to provide a rural experience, demonstrating original agricultural processes and the importance of tradition, organic production and biodiversity.
Here is their story:
Passage to Puglia: How long have you lived at Masseria Salamina?
Filippo & Chiara: From the early 1900’s Masseria Salamina was abandoned until our parents bought the property from a relative, Contessa Giuseppina Cenci, in 1986 to use as a summer house. We moved in permanently from 1989 and the Masseria was our family home. The buildings were slowly renovated and as our parents realised there were too many rooms and outbuildings to be used by just our family, they decided to convert these spaces into bedrooms and apartments for guests.
P2P: What do you grow on your land and what do you do with this produce?
F&C: Our family has owned land in Puglia and produced olive oil since the 1300s and now we yield 150,000kg of extra virgin olive oil each year. In addition we produce cereals, which we sell to a pasta maker in our local town to make fresh organic pasta; tomatoes from which we make tomato sauce to use and sell at the Masseria; vegetables that we use in our restaurant and almonds. We also produce some fruit (mandarins, oranges, lemons, apples, peach, apricot, prune) from which we make marmalades and jams. However, our first and most important production is our extra virgin olive oil.
Vegetables growing beneath an olive tree at Masseria Salamina (Photo: Brushfire Photography)
P2P: What other activities can you offer your guests and fellow Puglians?
F&C: We are a certified ‘Masseria Didattica’ which means that we work with schools to teach children about traditional agriculture and healthy food. In the Masseria, we also organise cooking lessons; classes about traditional processes (like harvesting olives, making pasta, focaccia, taralli, tomato sauce etc); team building sessions with agricultural activities; wine tasting; and olive oil tasting.
P2P: You have made a very successful business – would it be fair to say that you love what you do?
F&F: It is a busy life and Italian bureaucracy is always frustrating but we enjoy having direct contact with nature and people. We enjoy growing our produce, explaining processes to our guests and encouraging them to taste what we have grown. We can therefore not only sell a product but give an experience and a little bit of happiness - all from agriculture; it is in our DNA, in our past and we hope also in our future.
Chiara and Filippo end by saying that the best thing about Puglia People is ‘our passion for land, food, wine and hospitality … we love to produce, eat, drink and share with happiness and passion’ – I certainly couldn’t agree more!
The beautiful and majestic Masseria Salamina (Photo: Brushfire Photography)
(Photo: Masseria Salamina)
http://www.masseriasalamina.it/eng