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Puglia is not always on the global list of luxury travel destinations. But change is imminent, thanks to visionary hotel investors and pbadionate local entrepreneurs.
Restored farm known as mbaderie dot the area. These lush properties include gourmet restaurants, wellness retreats, day spas and villa-style suites, some with private pools. A short distance south of Bari, densely populated, and north of Brindisi, you will find a concentration of cities with unique diversity, nestled on the slopes of the valleys of Itria and Murgia.
Savelletri di Fasano, an unpretentious city of 600 inhabitants, is home to the most exclusive seaside resorts in the region. It has become an epicenter of hotel investments, especially for the hotel groups Rocco Forte and San Domenico.
Borgo Egnazia
Jacob Sjoman
Old traditions, new luxury
Here, Borgo Egnazia was a pioneer in the region in 2011, hitting the Hollywood audience for the first time in 2012 on the occasion of the wedding of singer Justin Timberlake and actress Jessica Biel. folk dance, the pizzica. Nestled among thousand-year-old olive groves, Borgo Egnazia is not technically a mbaderiabut with its spaces, its lines and its sand-colored stone, it is a microcosm of a traditional Apulian village.
Aldo Melpignano, owner and general manager of the Italian group San Domenico Hotels, explains that the philosophy of the resort is based more on the well-being of customers than on luxury: "We never use the word" luxury ", even if we design and offer high-end experiences for travelers. our guests. For us, the real luxury is to offer at most something based on love and care, designing meaningful experiences deeply rooted in our country and our traditions. "
Open all year, the property has 183 rooms, cbadette (mini-houses) and villas; six restaurants; private beach clubs; swimming pools; and the Vair spa, soon expanded, considered one of the best in the country.
In May, Mbaderia Torre Maizza became the last high-end seaside resort in the region. Combining an ode to local heritage and contemporary luxury, the 16th-century original farmhouse has 40 flawless rooms and suites, a gourmet restaurant, a rooftop bar and a pool surrounded by gardens. perfectly maintained.
Why develop Rocco Forte, a British group of luxury hotels, in Puglia? Managing Director Franco Girasoli said Puglia has a fascinating culture, beautiful landscapes and a rich culinary tradition. "It was a strategic move," says Girasoli. "Mbaderia Maizza is emblematic of the Rocco Forte group's guiding principles: it combines local heritage, contemporary luxury and tailor-made services." The group's founder, Sir Rocco Forte, added: "Our luxury model has a strong and undeniably Italian soul , is outward looking and relies on the values of culture and design on which this country was built. "
Hot hamlets
Ostuni, nicknamed the "White City" because of the concentration of whitewashed buildings, is also famous for its medieval gates and cathedrals. Enjoy a delicious meal in a cave of the Osteria del Tempo Perso, where, as the name suggests, the time has stopped.
The town of Locorotondo is ideal for getting lost for a few hours, another collection of white and bare buildings, pleasantly devoid of tourist groups, with glimpses of local life at every turn; elderly Italian women gather on plastic chairs near their door as the intoxicating scent of orecchiette flows through the windows of the kitchen.
Alberobello, with its unique dry stone resembling a smurf trulli dwellings, is protected by Unesco. The shops and restaurants have terraces ideal for admiring the unique roofs. Do not miss a typical Puglia lunch at the family-run La Cantina restaurant with a antipasti (starters): a feast of local products from burrata delicious pork specialties. Follow with the signature orecchiette sprinkled with local wine.
On the coast are the fishing village transformed into a seaside resort of Monopoli and the spectacular Polignano a Mare, with views winding around the cliffs and where the words "Volare", from Domenico Modugno, adorn the walls. At the entrance to the old city gates, queues are forming at Il Supermago del Gelo, a bar known for the best gelato in town since 1935. But people flock here for the special coffee: a cup of coffee, fresh cream, lemon zest and signature Amaretto.
The next entrepreneurs
A food supplier to a lot of luxury mbaderie Salumificio Santoro is the brainchild of Giuseppe Santoro and Piero Caramia, two butchers over 40 years old. Now, the three children of Santoro begin to take the reins of this Salumi home made. The girls Angela and Micaela, in particular, are the pioneers of the new generation in an industry heavily dominated by men.
Sisters of Salumeria Santoro
Salumeria Santoro
"We have been raised working with men, and challenging their skeptical view of us has become our daily norm," says Angela Santoro. "We learned on the job by dirtying our hands. In doing so, we earned their respect and admiration. "
According to Angela, the rise of tourism in Puglia means that travelers have discovered that this region offers much more than the famous beach of Salento. "Puglia, it's also the rural Itria Valley, tradition and gastronomy," she explains. "Many successful entrepreneurs have been able to capitalize on these world-clbad resorts in development."
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