A family affair in Puglia, Masseria Cimino

“My Grandmother was born in the kitchen of this very house”, states Aldo Melpignano, the proud member of this rooted family and partly to blame for creating one of the best interpretations of the Masseria we ever came across.

An original farmhouse that had been the nest of the family was a home until their grandfather, “a keen card player by all accounts”, finally lost the house due to his misfortunes.

“After years of dereliction, the house came up for auction again and our family decided it was destined to be ours once more. In 2006 we completed the task and has been run by my lovely Aunt ever since.”

White Line Hotels edit the Masseria Cimino, is a chic melange of the Mediterranean sitting at the Adriatic heel in Puglia– (Savelletri di Fasano, Ostuni & Torre Canne), emm waxed lemons, sun bleached fortified walls whitewashed set amongst the twisted olive trees.

Savelletri di Fasano’s Simplest Pleasure

What constitutes a simple pleasure is sometimes a very personal affair. For some it can be the taste of the year’s first strawberries melting onto their tongue. Others, of course, might be allergic, or just have other sensations topping their list: the smell of clean laundry, a morning cuddle, or maybe watching the colors of a sunset cycle and dissolve accompanied by the perfect glass of wine, to name a few. Whichever way your personal tastes point, one thing remains the same — a simple pleasure is by its very nature simple, something that could happen every day, even unnoticed if the time isn’t taken to savor the joy it brings us. Read the rest of this entry »

The Grottoes of Castellana: A journey to Inner Earth

I know this is not an easy one, but if you manage to leave the heavenly paradise of the Apulian coast behind for a few hours, I may have the perfect suggestion for you on where to go. Only 30km inland of the idyllic fishing town of Savelletri lays a spectacular natural wonder: The Grottoes of Castellana, one of Italy’s most famous caves. It is hard to believe that the entrance to this amazing network of caves and caverns was used as a landfill until 1938, when speleologist Franco Anelli discovered its true secret.

Read the rest of this entry »

THE CANDESCENT APULIAN

Distinctly Italian sitting at the Adriatic heel of in Puglia, this is a firm favourite with those looking to escape, set amongst the olive groves and natural scene.

White Line Hotels edit Masseria Cimino is a melange of the Mediterranean –tune your mind to lumpy unwaxed lemons, sun bleached fortified walls (white-washed of course) a theatrical set of the olive groves – all twisted + knotted, green golfing lawns, and the blue yonder of the Adriatic  – a backdrop that would be tempting enough – however the interior fix of this period farm house is simply hotter than the beating sun.

The whole colour palette speaks of pastoral collage, darts of vividness merge the tones of white, which cleverly canvas numerous objets d’art hailing back to the times of the bucolic past, the house pays an artisan tribute to it’s rich agricultural roots.

At dusk, the place is illuminated by staged candles lending yet another rich candescent layer of dapper sophistication whilst adding a touch of the dramatic to the ancient ramparts.

The vibe is relaxed rather than formal, it is family owned + run, just the way we like ‘em. A place to meander the days away, all chilled + just ever so Italian,

Ciao.