Puglia

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Premier Villas

Tenuta Pistola

 

Tenuta Pistola
Puglia
Tenuta Pistola is a beautifully restored 17th Century farmstead in the heart of Puglia. It is the perfect combination of contemporary elegance and rustic wilderness. Overlooking the valley called Canale Di Pirro, it has views of a pristine landscape that includes vineyards, olive groves and wooded hills.
people
20
bedrooms
10 BR
bathrooms
10
airport
Bari 80km
villa concierge
pool
heated pool
Daily maid
Cook
wifi
Air condition
near a beach
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OVERVIEW

Once a simple farm, Tenuta Pistola is now an elegant family hideaway. It is composed of remarkable stone buildings as well as several trulli. The trulli are limestone dwellings typical of rural Puglia made of roughly worked limestone boulders collected from neighboring fields. The interiors have been creatively converted into lovely environments, each with its own personal character. Although these stone buildings are known to resist the heat, there is air conditioning throughout.

The property can comfortably host 20-22 people, and furnishes additional services, all of which can be arranged by the onsite concierge. Exclusive to the property is a private chef who prepares meals specializing in Puglian cuisine using local ingredients, many from the private garden. He is of course available to develop personalized menus to suit your needs.

The main house, known as the Cumersa, is the heart of the home. It was built around 1750, and houses the largest indoor common areas, elegant kitchen and connected dining room. There are four magnificent ensuite bedrooms, two on the ground floor (one of which is a connected trullo and accessed off the courtyard), two on the first floor. Off of the main kitchen is a large courtyard with outdoor dining area.

The Garden Trullo is a cottage perfect for a private secluded experience with its own private plunge pool and pergola. It has two double bedrooms with ensuite bathroom, two living rooms as well as a full kitchen.

The third building named the Masseriola has 4 double ensuite bedrooms, a quaint private courtyard, large indoor living room, kitchen and dining room. Three of the bedrooms are each built inside restored trulli and the fourth bedroom in a restored barn formerly used for storing hay. Two of the trullo bedrooms are interconnecting and are ideal for a family. The barn suite is a large luxurious bedroom with its own living room. This living room has a sofa bed which can be used for an additional bedroom, as a family suite.

The Estate is working hard to become carbon neutral with regards to its main thermal and electrical energy requirements. In fact, using geothermal heating, the pool is able to be heated upon request. The sustainable gardens are filled with indigenous Mediterranean plants and offers pathways to numerous outdoor sitting areas, for dining, or simply a place to sit and enjoy the view. Tenuta Pistola produces its own wine. Visits to the family run award winning vineyards and tasting tours can be arranged.

Just 7 minutes drive to Alberobello, 25 minutes to Monopoli and 30 minutes to the stunning hill top towns Ostuni and Martina Franca – the house is perfectly located for exploring the area. The House is well connected by air being approximately 50 minutes from both Bari Airport and Brindisi Airports. Bari Airport can accommodate private jets and has regular flights to Rome and a host of European Cities.
Outdoors
• Pistola sits in the valley called Canale Di Pirro which is a stunning wine valley with green wooded hills
• 3 hectares of private mediterranean gardens
• 30 hectares of estate grounds to enjoy, which includes vineyards, and olive groves
• 12m x 6m pool, 1.4m deep. Surrounded by wooden decking with a Pergola for shade and al fresco lunches, giving a view across the valley.
• Additional plunge pool
• There are cycling and walking paths throughout the property grounds, and the Masseria enjoys easy access to the Ciclavia atop the acquedotto - a 56km length of walking/cycling path that winds its way through glorious Puglian countryside.
• Renewable energy in the form of solar energy used whenever possible
• Sports in the garden: ping pong, volley ball, croquet, football, etc
Indoors
• 10 double bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms - one additional bedroom convertible
• Most bedrooms have have ceramic roll top or large stone baths as well as walk-in showers
• Large Drawing Room with comfortable seating, chess table, fireplace and bar
• TV room and Kids snug

DETAILS

Amenities
• A/C in all structures
• WIFI throughout all structures
• Heating throughout
• Salt, pepper, balsamic, spices etc as well as a selection of coffees and teas
• Soap, shampoo and hairdryers are provided in each bathroom
• Projector
• Music speakers on each room
• Adaptors
• Two cots and high chairs
• Pool and beach towels available
Staff | Service included
• A morning maids service 9am - 11am & evening turn-down service 7pm - 8pm
• Breakfast is prepared and laid out by housekeeping staff every morning (eggs made on request)
• Guests have at their service a chef who prepares 2 meals a day, 6 days a week (Personalised menus daily). The chef specialising in Puglian cooking will use local produce often from the estate’s kitchen gardens. The chef will be present for both lunch and the evening meal (Chef day off is on a Wednesday, our house manager can make recommendations and arrangements for dining out on this day) Please note that all groceries and
ingredients used by the chef are at clients expense.
• Concierge can make recommendations and arrangements for local activities and dining out.
• Pool heating to a stable 26/27 degrees (included in price for July and August)
• Free access to Giardini Pistola - tranquil gardens nearby to the Masseria. Guests can enjoy a 20% discount at the farm shop located here, where you can buy organic olive oil, award winning wines, handmade soaps, fresh lavender, honey and many more artisanal products of Puglia.
• Guests can enjoy complimentary tickets for concerts held at the amphitheatre in Giardini Pistola nearby. Concerts are held on a weekend evening, ranging from classical, opera or local traditional music, with a small audience of 20-30.
Staff | Service on request
• All groceries and drinks paid separately
• Chef preparing cooked breakfast
• Evening barman service can be arranged for additional small fee
• Laundry Service and Dry Cleaning can be carried out for a small service charge
• Pool heating to a stable 26/27 degrees is possible on request in months other than July and August with an additional fee.
• Further al fresco dining locations or picnics can be set up in the gardens or grounds
• Yoga/Fitness Instructor, Massage therapist can all be arranged (billed direct to client)
• Transportation of any kind to any destination with or without driver
• Personal trainer
• Yoga teacher
• Sports: hiking, cycling, tennis, golf, horse riding, etc
• Shipping to US or other international points (i.e. items purchased locally, personal belongings etc)
• Entertainment for children
• Babysitting
• Italian lessons

FLOORPLANS

To receive the floor plans of this villa contact Katharina or Gaia at contact@excellence.villas
Distances
• Alberobello - 12km - 15 min drive
• Monopoli - 21km - 23 min drive
• Bari - 64km - 55 min drive
• Parco Naturale Regionale Dune Costiere
21km - 23min drive
• Ostuni - 35km - 33 min drive
• Lecce - 103km - 1 hour and 15 min drive
• Otranto - 151km - 1 hour and 45 min drive
Things to do
• Monopoli sits tranquilly overlooking the Adriatico sea much as it must have done when it was part of the Marine
Republic of Amalfi and Venice between the 11th and 15th centuries. Head straight to the small port, or Molo
Vecchio, where the traditional fishing boats still shore up for the night and marvel at the recently restored
‘golden’ walls of the castle which contrast spectacularly with the blues of the of the sea and sky. This and the
surrounding fortifications date from 1552. Orignally part of ancient Peucezia, Monopoli enjoyed important
influence over the territory south of Bari following the destruction of Egnazia. Also worth a visit is the Abbey
Castle of Santo Stefano three kilometers south east of Monopoli. Here the Vie Traiana and Minucia arrived at
ancient Diria. Do take time to see the Museum of ‘Vases from Egnazia’.
• Alberobello stands to the southern part of Bari province, near Castellana Grotte, Locorotondo and Putignano. The
town was founded in the 15th century by Acquaviva-D’Aragona, two counts of Conversano, on land that was
originally an oak forest. A typical feature of Alberobello are the trulli, white dry-stone houses with conical roofs
made of lapidary stones. Inside, the trulli have a square central room communicating with the other rooms of the
house via arches. Many trulli in Alberobello can be visited and the tallest trullo in the area, Trullo Sovrano, is on
two floors and houses a museum. The roofs of the trulli are embellished with decorations and pinnacles of
various shapes, often symbolising religious signs or signs of the zodiac.In 1996, Unesco made the town of
Alberobello a world heritage site.
• Parco Naturale Regionale Dune Costiere da Torre Canne a Torre San Leonardo Expansive parkland featuring
beachfront dunes, wetlands, wildlife & centuries-old olive groves.
• Bari. Bari Vecchia is a walled city crowded on a peninsula jutting into the sea. There was no room for expansion
and the resulting overcrowding has meant that life is lived on the streets. Wander down the narrow alleyways you
will feel like walking through someone’s living room, or well, everyone’s living room. Entire families from
grandparents to babies sat outside their homes chatting, playing, napping, while washing dangled from
balconies and scooters whizzed past. It’s not just relaxing and socialising that takes place in the streets. In the mornings they become a pasta factory
as women sit at tables outside their homes making the typical Puglian pasta orecchiette. These “little ears” are
made by rolling the dough into thin logs, cutting off a chunk with a knife and shaping it by hand—all at an
impressively rapid pace. If you get lost in Bari Vecchia, look down. The black stone pavement was laid to help
visiting merchants navigate their way out after market day; the white limestone paving will take you deeper into
the maze. Don’t forget to taste the focaccia smeared with roasted cherry tomatoes, olives and glistening with
local olive oil.
• Ostuni, La Città Bianca, the white city, is one of Puglia’s most beautiful cities, a tumble of white-washed buildings
perched strategically atop a hill with views of the endless olive trees in the Valle d’Itria countryside, and the
glimmering Adriatic Sea. The medieval walled city was built without a plan, and it shows. The web of streets is
confusing, a maze of alleyways, staircases and arches. Buildings were built on top of each other, and the archways
support the houses they connect, making up for the lack of strong foundations. You turn one way and find a
dead end, another and get a glimpse of the sapphire sea. Puglia has seen a stream of invaders—Greeks, Romans,
Goths, Byzantines, Normans—and the labyrinth of Ostuni is the perfect way to confuse the enemy. The stark white
buildings are dazzling in the southern sun and are brightened by vivid green and blue wooden doors, pots of red
geraniums and cacti. In the 17th century a plague killed millions in the area and infected houses were painted
white by mixing limestone dust with water. Locals noticed that there was less illness around the white houses
and attributed it to a miracle; most likely it was the antibacterial effect of the calcium carbonate. Nowadays the
white houses attract tourists and the local government encourages everyone to repaint every two years by paying
or half the cost.The main street in Ostuni is lined with boutiques and souvenir shops selling local olive oil and
Salentino sandals, but the best way to experience the town is by diving down the narrow side streets and like the
invaders once did, getting lost.
The Salento
• The Salento is a hot, dry peninsula at the southern tip of Puglia. Its geographical isolation has meant that it has
developed a strong identity with its own cuisine, traditions and music, influenced by its Greek past. Along with
some of Italy’s best beaches there are some fascinating towns to explore.
• Lecce is known for its exuberant baroque architecture in the golden Leccese stone of the area, its churches
lavishly decorated with cherubs, gargoyles and gri_ns, and delicately carved columns and cornices. Lecce is one
of Puglia’s larger cities but it’s still a walkable size, and it manages to be both lively and relaxed.
• Otranto has a stunning coastal location where you can combine morning visits to churches with an afternoon
swimming in the clean, impossibly turquoise sea. It’s just 72 km from Albania and its location has resulted in
many invasions, the worst of which was the Turkish siege in 1480 when they destroyed much of the city and
tortured and killed its people. Otranto’s principal attraction is the Cathedral with its mosaic floor built in
1163-1165— it survived the Turkish invasion although parts of the Cathedral were destroyed. It’s one of the largest
mosaics in Europe and covers the entire floor. Its central motif is the Tree of Life, supported at the base by
elephants, a symbol of purity, with branches telling different pagan and biblical stories. Another tree near the
front of the church depicts heaven on one side and grizzly scenes from hell on the other. In the chapel you can
see the human remains of the 800 martyrs who resisted the Turkish invasion and refused to convert to Islam. The
empty sockets of hundreds of skulls stare down at you in stark contrast to the beauty of the mosaic floor.
• Gallipolli’s old town is on a island connected by a causeway to the mainland. It has a relaxed, elegant vibe, some
stunning churches, and a golden curve of sand right in the centre of town, plus many more along the
surrounding coast. It was ruled by the Greeks for five centuries between 7th and 2nd century BC, but all signs of
their existence were destroyed by the Romans and most of the architecture seen now is from the Middle Ages.
Other than leisurely walks along the city’s seafront walls, the most interesting thing to do in Gallipolli is visit
Frantoio Ipogeo in Granafei Palace one of the 35 underground olive presses. It was first used in 1600, excavated
by hand out of the soft rock, to make olive oil for lamps which was exported around the world. You can see the
original equipment used for grinding and pressing the olives and get a sense of what it was like to work in this
dark, damp cave. Blindfolded donkeys were used to work the olive mill and they lived down here with the
workers who smoked weeds and carved little sculptures to distract themselves from the miserable conditions.
To receive a complete overview of activities and sightseeing in the area, contact Katharina or Gaia at contact@excellence.villas We will promptly email you an exhaustive document.

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