The House

Architect-owned secluded villa with hill-top location in Puglia. Views of ancient olive groves, large terrace, pool and herb garden. Sleeps 8.

Almond, fig and nespole trees grow within the beautifully mature garden. The house has four bedrooms, a large kitchen-dining room connecting to a wrap-around terrace and features two sun-shaded dining areas.

Great care has been taken to integrate the building with its hilltop location and the ancient dry stone walls, which delineate the surrounding terraces.

Casa Calandra offers its guests total privacy. French windows lead off each lower floor bedroom onto the lower terrace and adjacent swimming pool, which measures 4x10m. 

Accommodation is arranged over two floors. The lower level built into the rock provides a cool interior temperature and an external balcony on and terrace on the first floor enables sun-shaded dining with views across the neighbouring woodland and hills beyond.

Location

Casa Calandra is situated in the idyllic Valle d’Itria. This undulating green valley is interlaced with dry-stone walls, vineyards, almond trees and olive groves.

Renowned for its produce this wild, rustic region is home to a great number of masserias (working farms) who supply a multitude of local restaurants.

The villa is around 8km from the coast,with numerous sandy beaches, lidos andnature reserves to explore. The local, azure coastline includes the thriving fishing village of Savelletri and the wonderfully picturesque town Polignano A Mare.

Scattered around the Valle d’itria are many charming hilltop towns, with historic centres and often with spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. One of the largest is Ostuni, 'The White City'. With its excellent supermarkets, delicatessens and Saturday market is a convenient ten-minute drive away from the house.

Throughout the countryside you will see lots of ‘trulli’. These vernacular dry stone huts with their conical roofs were once used as storehouses and dwellings for agricultural labourers and are unique to the region.

Things to do

Southern Italian Gourmet heaven, this wild and rustic countryside inspires its wealth of food and culture.

From music festivals to food festivals, packed piazzas or sleepy villages, cycling tours, water-parks or zip-wires, olive oil tastings or sun-baked beaches - there is something for everyone.

Puglia is like one giant market garden and most fruit and vegetables are produced locally. Be prepared for big flavours, tomatoes, green beans, fennel, figs, rocket and artichokes can often be bought directly from local farmers selling produce off the back of their Piaggio Ape.

Close to Alberobello is UNESCO World Heritage site Grotte di Castellana. These underground caves have been rated as the most impressive in Italy and the Grotto Bianca is one of the most beautiful in the world!

The local coastline includes the dramatically located cliff-top town of Polignano a Mare. Spend a day at this beautiful seaside town perched atop a 20 metre-high limestone cliff above the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic.