Masserie and trulli.

I spent a lovely Christmas week in a beautiful old farmhouse in the West Country, doing lots of walking, eating and drinking, and our stay reminded me of the masserie and trulli that have become popular as luxury accommodation in Italy.

Masserie are old farmhouses and trulli are the conical-roofed shelters that often stood beside them to store crops and tools. They date back to the 16th and 17th century and the time when landowners had vast agricultural estates and employed live-in staff to tend to the fields and their families. The masserie were at the heart of a working
farm, with the servants occupying the ground floors and the landowner and his family living on the upper floors.

Masserie and trulli are most commonly found in southern Italy, in particular Puglia and Sicily. Masseria Del Genio, near Grottaglie in Puglia, is a good example of this type of
ancient Italian farmhouse. This hideaway is set amid 30 hectares of peaceful fields, awash with vineyards and old olive trees, and the white beaches of Puglia are not far away.

This luxury villa in Catania, Sicily, is another example of this type of unique Italian accommodation. Sitting at the base of Mount Etna, this old farmhouse dates back to 1700, boasting many of the original features and enjoying panoramic views over a large swathe of beautiful Mediterreanen countryside.

With their extraordinary architecture and surrounded by such rich landscape, both countryside and coastal, you can see why so many of these old farmhouses and shelters have been converted into luxury Italian accommodation, and why they hold their own alongside the premier villas that look out over the Ionian and Amalfi Coasts.

For more information on Premier Villas and our villa holidays in Italy, contact us on +44 1243 514970 or italy@premiervillas.net.