Borgo Gelso

A Masseria Reborn in Lyrical Landscape

Behind ancient, fortified walls, with magically arching external corridors, hidden stairwells, covered passages and sweet, converted outbuildings, this sleek masseria, graciously updated with respect for traditional Italian architecture, offers all the cachet of a noble Puglian courtyard residence, with an added focus on convenience. It’s an evocative world of arching doors and passages, lush pocket gardens, generous shade trees, and blissful terraces, plus a menu of activities from wine tastings and cooking courses to snorkeling and canoe excursions.

Named for the giant, centuries-old mulberry tree that shades its principal courtyard, this villa for rent in Italy also lives up to its name as a classic small village, or borgo. The property has three separate apartments behind its walls, rented together as an enchanting space for family and friends to spread out and luxuriate across shaded courtyards and gardens dotted with citrus, fragrant flowering shrubs and elegant potted plants.

The 19th-century property is typical of the region and reminiscent of a traditional Italian masseria with its restored stone buildings, tuff walls, and citrus grove. Modern amenities include the elegant courtyard swimming pool flanked by a sweet stone capilla, a frothing rooftop hot tub, and old stone walls revisited with wide, loft-like multipaned window openings and neatly manicured pathways connecting the structures.

The property includes three living spaces that are fully independent, with kitchens, dining areas, and baths. The largest apartment, Casa Gelso, anchors the property’s most ancient area. Renovated with classic materials, it features a traditional cocciopesto floor, original fireplaces, historic vaulted ceilings vividly updated, and space for four. 

The Mansarda apartment, named for its beautifully vaulting ceilings, is cozier and built across two levels, with a fireplace, cement and cocciopesto floor tiling, and a small upper-level terrace. Stella is the little sister of the trio, more of a bedroom suite than full apartment, with the roof terrace and hot tub, vaulted volumes and unique micro-mosaics. 

Interiors across the property tend toward the whitewashed and minimal, with refined furnishings, eye-catching fixtures and minimal wall ornamentation. Outdoor living areas are plush and spacious, with alfresco dining, patio seating, sun loungers, and even courtyard contemplation corners, with chairs or benches in the shade.

Please note: Rates are for the entire property (exclusive use), for a total of up to 12 guests. The property must be rented in its entirety during July and August. For the rest of the year, it is possible to rent a portion of the property, and smaller groups of four, six, or eight guests can be accommodated, subject to availability. Mansarda/Cattedrale sleeps up to four guests, and Casa Gelso/Stanza Stella sleeps up to six guests.

A Turkish bath/steam bath has been added for the 2024 season.

Around

A full menu of experiences adds to the unwinding aspect at this villa for rent in Italy. Property owners are dedicated to showing off the real Salento, its hidden gems and less touristy attractions, as well as offering on-site workshops and classes, ranging from wine tastings and cooking courses to Tai Chi. 

The Salento region is known for its lyrical landscape that includes menhirs and karst caves as well as natural parks and woodlands. The home is a great base for exploring Puglian charms, from cave churches to villages with varied architectural legacies including the Romanesque, Baroque and Norman. 

The owners can faciliate boat excursions along the coast, as well as long nature walks along archeological pathways and water adventures in canoe, kayak or snorkel. The Adriatic coast is a 20-minute drive from the property, and the dramatic, cliff-backed beaches of the Cala dell’Acquaviva are a bit farther afield. The Ionian coast, with its many charms—Nardo, Gallipoli, Costa Otranto National Park—is also a quick drive. Of course, charming trulli homes are abundant, poking their conical tops out from hillsides in the area and concentrated around Alberobero and the white village of Ostuni. The larger town of Lecce, known as the Florence of the South, offers a cityscape within 30 kilometers.

Location

Salento, Puglia, Italy. Nearest airport: Brindisi (93km)

Best time to visit

March to October