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Critabianca
Cutrofiano, Salento, Italy
Critabianca
Cutrofiano, Salento, Italy
A Former Regent's Country Manor
Built in the 14th century, this luxury boutique hotel in Italy is positioned near Puglia's most magnificent historical and cultural destinations as well as its most spectacular coastlines.
Formerly the home of Jean Goulart de Sauméry, regent of Castel del Monte during the Angioini period, it was then passed on to become the summer residence of several prominent families of the Bourbon period in the 1700s, and in the late 1800s it became a farm devoted to the production of tobacco.
With the authenticity and simple elegance typical of the region, the masseria or farmhouse has been reimagined as a family-run hospitality concept that immerses you into the cultural, architectural, and agricultural history of Puglia.
Nestled in among the olive groves, the hotel is a welcoming and peaceful oasis with quietly renovated interiors that allow the space, light, and history to reveal itself in a wistful way that connects you to its past.
Awash in calming white and honey-colored walls punctuated with a few sparks of color, the interiors are dreamy and minimalist, with the graceful remnants of its past on display.
The common areas are full of light and face wonderful views from the balconies, and are decorated with antiques and locally crafted ceramics and furnishings.
Each of the six en-suite rooms is defined by different characteristics of the villa, highlighting the graceful features of the ancient building.
The hotel is family-owned and run, and your hosts offer up gourmet breakfasts, intimate candlelit dinners, and convivial aperitivo from age-old family recipes and Salento traditions with vegetables from the gardens and locally sourced ingredients, all prepared personally.
Feel free to wander among the over twelve acres of edible gardens, orange and olive groves taking in the scents and silence of Salento.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
The hotel opens its kitchen doors to discover the traditional menus with cooking courses dedicated to a theme or a season. The course ends with a dinner prepared by participants.
Your hosts can suggest the most amazing excursions and historical-cultural destinations, tours and tastings at local wineries, local cuisine including artisanal family-owned cheese producers, as well as sports activities to discover and experience the land of Salento.
SALENTO
Strategically located in the heart of Salento, the village of Cutrofiano in Grecìa Salentina is situated just a few miles inland from the Ionian Sea and its lovely beaches with panoramic cliffs along the coast towards Santa Maria di Leuca.
Once an ancient and strategic ruling city and port over two thousand years ago, nearby Gallipoli has seen Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Spaniards and Barbarians come and go, leaving behind layers of history and culture within its fortified walls. The solid limestone island is connected by a bridge to the mainland and the well-preserved bastions, towers, and fortifications add to the atmospheric charms of the city.
Dominated by the central Castello Angioino, a fairy-tale medieval castle, and the cathedral, the island's narrow streets, and secret alleyways feature noble residences and palazzos and dozens of amazing restaurants, bars, fun local shops, and art galleries as well as the renowned fish market.
The stunning Baroque city of Lecce, known as the Florence of the South, can be reached in 25 minutes by car. The lovely UNESCO port town of Otranto is a 30-minute drive, and the White City of Ostuni is 90 minutes north.
Nearby Galantina at the midpoint between the Ionian and the Adriatic sometimes referred to as the belly of Salento, features a historic center dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries when the town saw the development of many noble palaces and a boom in Baroque architecture like nearby Lecce. A hidden treasure among Puglia's southern settlements, the town is charming and less touristy than some of its neighbors with plenty of good restaurants, bars, boutiques, and markets.
Don't miss the authentic town of Nardò a few minutes away.
LOCATION
Cutrofiano, Puglia, Italy. Nearest Airport: Salento Airport in Brindisi (95km)
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Spring through Fall
