Villa Puglia

Puglia, the "heel" of the boot of Italy, has only recently gained popularity as a holiday destination as travelers become aware of the natural beauty of its landscapes and the wealth of fascinating towns with Greek, Norman and Caracen-influenced architecture, and the magnificent Baroque cathedrals in Lecce and other nearby towns.

With stunning landscapes of ancient olive trees and two coastlines of pristine beaches, Puglia offers magical scenery, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, unique "trulli" architecture, caves, castles, great shopping and some of the best food and wine in Italy. Puglia is the largest producer of oilive oil in Italy and has more than 50 million olive trees, including some that are a thousand years old.

From Tricase Porto you can roam throughout Salento and can make wonderful excursions to some of Puglia's most memorable locales: visit the east coast of Salento with its magnificent cliffs hovering over its turquoise sea with grottos and creeks, and the west coast offers 50 kilometers of white sand beachs from Santa Maria di Leuca to Gallipoli; the city of Lecce, pearl of Italian baroque; the fortified ports of Otranto and Gallipoli; Santa Maria di Leuca, finibus terrae, followed by a swim in the crystal blue sea. A bit further, you can visit the legendary towns of Taranto with its Hellenistic museum, Alberobello, home of many ancient Trulli, the Sassi of Matera, the sublime Castel del Monte, the Normand churches of Bari, Trani, Barletta and Ruvo. Visit the amazing seaside town of Ostuni and the spectacular Torre Guaceto.

Otranto is 30 km from the villa. It has a stunning coastal location where you can combine morning visits to churches with an afternoon swimming in the clean, impossibly turquoise sea. It’s just 72 km from Albania and its location has resulted in many invasions, the worst of which was the Turkish siege in 1480 when they destroyed much of the city and tortured and killed its people. Otranto’s principal attraction is the Cathedral with its mosaic floor built in 1163-1165 - it survived the Turkish invasion although parts of the Cathedral were destroyed. It’s one of the largest mosaics in Europe and covers the entire floor. Its central motif is the Tree of Life, supported at the base by elephants, a symbol of purity, with branches telling different pagan and biblical  stories. Another tree near the front of the church depicts heaven on one side and grizzly scenes from hell on the other. In the chapel you can see the human remains of the 800 martyrs who resisted the Turkish invasion and refused to convert to Islam. The empty sockets of hundreds of skulls stare down at you in stark contrast to the beauty of the mosaic floor.

Lecce, 50 km distant, is known for its exuberant baroque architecture in the golden Leccese stone of the area, its churches lavishly decorated with cherubs, gargoyles and griffins, and delicately carved columns and cornices. Lecce is one of Puglia’s larger cities but it’s still a walkable size, and it manages to be both lively and relaxed.

Artisanal gelato is always around the corner and you are never more than a few minutes from the sparkling sea. The cuisine of Puglia features fresh seafood, and its wines are renowned, particularly the reds from Salento and the refreshing whites from Locorotondo and Gravina. All around there are many lovely restaurants with typical "cucina salentina" as well as artcraft shops of ceramics and fabrics. At the end of the day, come home to your villa to relax over a glass of wine, overlooking the garden, and the sea all around you.

A direct train connects Rome to Lecce (6 hours), from Lecce to Tricase Porto there is another train connection (1.5 hours). The villa is 3 km distant from Tricase Porto. A car is recommanded in this region.