A 17th-Century Masseria with a Salt Pool in Putignano, Puglia
Masseria della Croce is a house of about 300m² (about 3,200 sq ft) on the edge of Putignano, with four bedrooms for eight guests. Arrive to a welcome drink, a gourmet welcome basket (with a selection of organic products and local specialities), and fresh flowers in all the rooms. After that, housekeeping visits every day for about two hours to see to the bedrooms and bathrooms, and staff can be reached by phone at any hour.
We highly recommend making the most of the staff, and food is where they can be most helpful. On your first night, you'll receive a dinner kit with fresh, organic and local ingredients, together with a traditional family recipe. Breakfast, a private chef, a pizza night at the outdoor oven or a dinner under the stars can all be arranged in advance, as can a hands-on session making mozzarella or panzerotti, the fried turnovers Puglia is famous for. On the evenings when you cook for yourselves, there’s a full kitchen inside plus a barbecue and wood-fired pizza oven outside.
The masseria dates back to the 17th century, and the owners tell us that both Benedictine monks and the Knights of Malta have passed through its walls. The restoration that began in the mid-1990s kept the building’s original structure, and in one upstairs bedroom, an embrasure still sits in the wall. (Apparently, it was once used to greet attackers with hot oil.)
Indoors, a parlor with a fireplace, a piano, a study, a reading room, and a dining room give the group places to spread out after dinner, and one of the four bedrooms has its own Jacuzzi. Outside, the salt pool comes with a sauna, an outdoor workout area and an outdoor shower, and the gardens run out to the olive trees.
Layout
Masseria della Croce sleeps up to eight guests in four bedrooms over two floors, each with a queen bed.
• Bedroom 1 (ground floor): Queen (180 × 200 cm), private bathroom with shower (not en-suite), Jacuzzi
• Bedroom 2 (first floor): Queen (180 × 200 cm), en-suite bathroom with shower
• Bedroom 3 (first floor): Queen (180 × 200 cm), private bathroom with shower (not en-suite)
• Bedroom 4 (first floor): Queen (180 × 200 cm), Smart TV and safe, no en-suite bathroom
There are five bathrooms in all: three in the masseria, one in the courtyard and one in the pool house.
Experiences
Offered by host (booked in advance, subject to availability): Private chef, breakfast, pizza night, barbecue night, dinner under the stars, picnic on the grounds, cooking classes, mozzarella and panzerotti workshops, wine and olive oil tastings, a papier-mâché workshop, yoga, personal training, massage and beauty treatments, babysitting and children’s activities, private driver, airport transfers, and boat and bike rental. The host can also organize parties and receptions on the property.
Good to know
Rentals run by the week, Saturday to Saturday. Linen and towels are changed on Wednesdays, and on Saturdays too (for longer stays). The house is on two floors, with one bedroom on the ground floor and three upstairs. A car is recommended, and parking on the property is free. The property covers about 4 hectares (almost 10 acres), and the gardens are fenced, and outdoor video surveillance and an alarm system cover the grounds. Children are welcome, and baby cots are free on request. Extra services are charged separately. A €4,000 damage deposit is payable to the host after booking.
Amenities & services
Saltwater pool, outdoor shower, sauna, outdoor workout area, air conditioning, heating, fireplace, Wi-Fi, satellite TV, hair dryers, dishwasher, washing machine, iron and ironing board, electric oven, induction cooktop, microwave, toaster, coffee machine, kettle, refrigerator and freezer, outdoor barbecue, outdoor pizza oven, outdoor induction cooktop, free private parking, alarm system and outdoor video surveillance, welcome drink and a gourmet welcome basket of organic products and local specialities, a first-night dinner kit with fresh, organic local ingredients and a family recipe for a traditional Puglian dinner, fresh flowers in all rooms, daily cleaning of bedrooms and bathrooms (two hours a day), weekly linen and towel changes, a bathrobe and pool towel for each guest, a beauty box in each bathroom, kitchen basics, final cleaning, staff on call around the clock, Jacuzzi in one bedroom, piano, study, reading room.
On request: All services listed under Experiences, plus laundry, extra linen and towel changes and extra cleaning.
Around
Putignano sits in the Murgia hills, and most of what brings people to this part of Puglia is a short drive away: the trulli of Alberobello, the karst caves of Castellana Grotte, and the beaches of Polignano a Mare and Monopoli, about 30 minutes toward the coast. Locorotondo, Martina Franca and Ostuni are easy day trips, and Matera is about an hour. In winter, Putignano holds one of Italy’s oldest Carnivals, which starts on December 26. We recommend a visit to Torre Guaceto (a WWF-protected marine reserve about an hour away), and guided visits to local wine cellars and vineyards. There is an 18-hole golf course nearby.
Location
Putignano, Puglia, Italy. Nearest airport: Bari Airport (BRI, 58 km).
Best time to visit
Summer is for the beaches, and spring and fall are for the countryside and the hill towns. Winter is quieter, with Putignano’s Carnival and a fireplace back home.
