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San Michele
Ceglie Messapica, Puglia, Italy
San Michele
Ceglie Messapica, Puglia, Italy
Simple Sophistication in the Heart of Puglia
Its restoration completed in early summer 2023, this stone hollow encloses you in ancient blonde stone, accented by the most minimal of contemporary furnishings to mirror the Puglian landscape.
If, as native son Leonardo Da Vinci says, simplicity is indeed the ultimate sophistication, this classic structure’s strong, curving volumes speak volumes. With two intimate conical buildings joined by an annex and flanked by a swimming pool and landscaped garden filled with olive trees, this sweet spot outside of Ceglie Messapica presents unadorned elegance. The agricultural outpost-turned-residence is more spacious than expected, a cool, subtly furnished spot within a few minutes’ drive from both the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, and even closer to the center of one of Puglia’s best-preserved ancient communities.
AROUND
Set between Puglia’s gentle coastal hills and the plains of Salento, Ceglie Messapica is one of the oldest towns in Puglia, believed to date back as far as the 15th century BC. The village is often overlooked by folks headed toward the nearby beaches—understandable given their beauty and easy accessibility within 35 kilometers or less from the trullo. Ceglie Messapica looks different from many of the area villages, such as the nearby “white villages” of Ostuni, Cisternino, and Locorotondo. Featuring a dominating Ducal Castle, massive domes and fortified walls rising from the town, the village also offers a multitude of palazzi and a busy restaurant and wine bar scene. Considered the gastronomical capital of this part of the region, the village hides cafes, tasting rooms, local grower boutiques and family-run restaurants within its labyrinthine series of narrow streets.
Trulli dot the countryside surrounding the town (the UNESCO-protected trulli capital of Alberobello is about 30 kilometers away), and there are several visitable caves and grottoes in the rocky landscape. The greater region of Puglia fills Italy’s boot heel and is known for its wealth of cultural and gastronomical offerings. Wine and olive oil producers are among the country’s best, the university town of Lecce is referred to as the “Florence of the South” for its Baroque architecture and wealth of art, and Mediterranean port towns range from the busy regional capital of Bari to the picturesque Polignano a Mare and Monopoli on the Adriatic coast, and the beloved San Pietro on the Ionian shore.
LOCATION
Ceglie Messapica, Puglia, Italy. Nearest airport: Brindisi (40km)
BEST TIME TO VISIT: April to October
