Set an hour inland from the coast of Bari, Masseria La Selva was built in the mid 18th century as a hunting lodge for the Roman Orsini family. The Orsini family had a long history in the region dating back to 1420 when the Normans gave them neighbouring town of Gravina, where Pope Benedict XIII of the Orsini family later presided. At the turn of the 20th century the head of the Lorusso family bought the Masseria and it became a working farm with crops of cotton, wheat and tobacco.
The main floor houses a vast open kitchen, a sitting room with arched ceilings and stone fireplace, and a dining hall. On the second floor two wings expand east and west from the central music room, to the bedrooms, bathrooms, and a maze of sitting rooms decorated in antiques and farm tool collections. There are 9 bedrooms all overlooking the back courtyard each furnished with two single beds.
Masseria La Selva is set on 200 hectares of private land of gentle hills. There are sheep, pigs ,geese and cows on the property, and cheese is made in the adjacent building every morning.
3 home cooked meals are served daily. The meals created in the kitchen are typical of the Puglia region. The nearby town of Altamura is famous for its round loaves of crusty bread which will be a staple at your table along with family harvested olive oil. Breakfast will be laid out in the kitchen in the morning and sit down lunch and dinner will be served in the dining room or outside courtyard.
- Sleeps 18 double occupancy; 4 shared bathrooms.
- As this is Masseria in its original state all bedrooms vary in size
- Internet pen drives available for internet and skype calls.
- Washing machine available for your use. Clothes may be hung to dry outside
- All amenities are available in town ( pharmacy, grocery, stamps, medical, hygiene, phone cards etc.)
