Meet Keith and Moira, owners of a beautiful 2 bedroom villa set in the olive groves of Puglia in southern Italy. It’s projects like Keith and Moira’s that show how when traditional buildings, such as this trullo, are sympathetically renovated they can become really special and unique places to spend that perfect getaway.
“A land steeped in the history of the Crusades, of warrior knights, and Muslim architecture…of pigs, darum wheat, fava, anchovy, and olives, as far as the eye can see…”
1) Tell us a little about your property.
We bought Bellissimo because although neglected we thought she was beautiful. We loved the land with olive and fruit trees, the fact that Bellissimo is only 7 kilometers from Ostuni, and yet rural with no through traffic. Nestling in the Itria valley, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bellissimo was three separate buildings, the oldest part (main trullo) dating back to the 17th century, with some walls approaching 2 metres in depth. We bought Bellissimo in 2006, and spent 3 years remodeling/renovating the house. Considering the internal spaces I’ve had to think about the nature of the building and sympathetic use of its age and fabric. Local artisans have been employed from the outset to renovate and landscape the house and orchard to include a pool, terraces and outdoor kitchen. Bellissimo has been quoted in several publications for the quality of its interiors. At Bellissimo you will find a combination of Gujerati wall hangings, Iranian rough hewn marble, volcanic hand-baked tiles from Etna and French damask. A truly bijou property, I seek in my own artisan way to create beautiful spaces for our clients to relax, spaces which are functional as well as distinct.
My overriding desire has been to create a home that helps to transport our guests from the humdrum to the beautiful.
2) What made you buy Bellissimo – was it financial, emotional, a connection with the area, or something else?
I can’t say that it was ever a desire to buy a property in the south of Italy, but ever since reading the classic Carlo Levi novel ‘Christ Stopped at Eboli’, it had become an ambition to meet the people of the south, people who seem more of Byzantium or the Levant than Europe. Upon alighting from the Rome/Lecce express one late August afternoon, you could sense the difference. The Italy of Milan, Florence or Venice was distant chimera upon the horizon. I discovered here was an Italy of attitude and passion, rather than the bland homogeneity of its northern cousins.
Time also seems to pass differently here, of course it is reality as it is everywhere, but not quite as all-governing. It is a strange land of harsh sun, and simple food, of superstition and religion, of peasant families and long loyalties. Puglia feels like a land of old Europe, and whilst modernity encroaches, and tourists are more numerous, the quiet of the Puglian hinterland, populated by its cities of olive groves and phasmagoric mists is sublimely enchanting.
A land steeped in the history of the Crusades, of warrior knights, and Muslim architecture, of feudal custom, of bastioned grand houses and a peasant stock that built small conical dwellings with roofs could easily be dismantled in order to escape crippling taxes.
This is a land where men and women of no education or training have fashioned rock to create stunning architecture within even the most humble of abodes. A land that relies upon the seasons rather than commerce for its simple foodstock – of pigs, darum wheat, fava, anchovy, and olives, as far as the eye can see.
3) What’s the best thing about Puglia, the region Bellissimo is located in? Is it the scenery, the pace of life, the locals, the activities, etc?
I am so lucky to have wonderful neighbours. They show me how to care for the olive trees, lend me nets for the harvest, cure capers, dry figs and tomatoes. They are kind and joyful and generous – they are truly people of the south.
Activities, there are many, but Puglia encourages you to do very little. It is an escape from activity rather than a headlong pursuit of achievement. Easier here to find your inner calm than anywhere else I have visited.
4) What are the 3 special touches you add to enhance the guest experience?
We aim to do as much as we can for our guests prior to departure so that they don’t waste time organizing when they arrive. We advise on restaurants, activities, markets, public transport, hospitals, doctors. The house is very comfortably furnished – every piece is either antique and restored, or privately commissioned from local artisans. My own fabric designs and handmade soft furnishings pay homage to a richness of colour, which for the peoples of the Mediterranean is natural and instinctive. The most frequent client comment remark is about the quality of our fabrics, fixtures and fittings, both internally and around the pool/external kitchen. Our welcome pack is very generous, with Bellissimo olive oil and olives, marmalades, home baked bread, prosecco, salamis and cheeses.
5) If a guest had just one day in Bellissimo what would you recommend they do for the perfect experience?
Start with an early swim, followed by breakfast on the terrace. Head off to Brindisi whilst it is quiet, and take a stroll through the two columns that mark the end of the Via Appia which begins in Rome, and around the old harbour to find a quiet coffee shop on the harbour wall to watch the boats. Back to Ostuni for lunch outside in the orange grove at La Sommita, followed by a ramble through the Centro Storico whilst everybody else takes an afternoon nap. Back to Bellissimo for a refreshing dip, light the barbecue (gas or olive wood – take your pick). A quick scoot over to Casalini whilst the prosecco is chilling to buy chicken livers wrapped in prosciutto from the lovely fornello pronto. Supper for two with green salad, crusty bread and Bellissimo olive oil, followed by a big tub of delicious ice cream from Bar Eden in Ostuni – fruitti di bosco for him, nocciola and fior di latte for me. Heavenly!
To rent Bellissimo from Keith and Moira, please complete the contact form which can be found at the bottom of the page on the above link.
on October 11, 2011 at 9:28 pm
How nice! Finding out about someone else like you, who shares a passion for renovating a “home away from home”! We did the same with our own award winning retreat in Sardinia (www.casateulada.com) and set up our own blog which looks in a similar direction that this wonderful blog here! Glad we came across it, and hope to be able to cross path soon again, and more than once! Let us know if you’d like to know more about us or contact us. Check our “contact” page on http://www.hhrtw.com
Ciao! Antonio & Cristina