Masseria - The Fortified Farm

     My flights went from  Salt Lake City to New York City, then on to Rome, and then on to Bari, the capitol of Puglia.  From  Bari I was taken south to the town of Savelletri to stay at my first masseria.


In Times of Pirates and Brigands

      Masseria were fortified farms.  The local farmers were often being pillaged of their crops by pirates, brigands, and others.  So, fortified boundary walls, watch towers, and drawbridges were built around the small farms to keep the people safe.  Families within the masseria would have their own church so they would not have to leave the relative safety for spiritual needs.  They would also share an oil mill and outdoor oven.
     Also within the masseria would be cisterns for water, stables and storage rooms for hay and other crops, as well as storage for tools.  The farmers did not own the land.  In one section of the masseria was the comfortable home of the Padrone or master of the masseria.
     Today, many masseria have been turned into resorts for vacationing tourists.  Most masseria can boast of 5-star amenities, like spas, golf  courses and cooking classes.  The cooking class was a tempting option, but I also wanted to explore and photograph my surroundings.
      The morning of my second day, I spent time exploring the masseria I was staying at. I stayed at Masseria Torre Coccaro. Most of the rooms are converted from existing buildings from the 15th century. My room was in a building standing alone. I was the only one there. I had my own little courtyard. There were rooms in the 15th century watch tower. There were rooms built next to the masseria church. I also explored the gardens. Most of the fruits and vegetables grown here are served in the masseria restaurant.

The main wall with an arch was the entrance to the masseria in the 16th century.

Outside the walls, stone walls surround the olive groves.

This box was my room.  Don't let it fool you.

Once you walk down a path, you find my front door.

The inside.

I had my own courtyard that was walled in.

This was once an old well.

The pool house

We had a wedding at the pool on our last night.

I love the bas relief of the Madonna and Child.

Inside the arch was an outdoor oven.

Two views of the watch tower.  It now contains guest rooms, a massage studio, and a gallery.

Down this path was flower gardens.

The garden with pillars

The herb garden

The vegetable garden

 

 

 

Inside the archway was the chapel.  It is still in use with a visiting priest on Sundays.

Interior of the chapel.

        On our second day, in the afternoon, after all of my group was together, we had a bike safety class and were fitted to our bikes.  We then rode through 800-year-old olive groves to Egnatia, an ancient site. This town was started before the ancient Greeks and Romans were in power. The Greeks took over, and then the Romans. Around 300 A.D., the town died out, and eventually the ruins were covered under fields to be discovered in the last century.

Going into a underground room

Which turned out to be a series of connected tunnels.  Storage and safety from pirates was the purpose of this room.

The Via Triana, a road that would connect with the Appian Way.  All roads lead to Rome.

        That evening, we had dinner as a group - a typical four-course Italian meal. While the servings were small, it was still more food than I am used to eating at one meal.