Posta Santa Croce - Ospitalità In Masseria

I would like to thank the owners Pietro and Giusy and their 3 children for their kind hospitality. This masseria (farm/cottage) has been the home of Pietro's ancestors since the 1800s. His great great uncle, if I remember correctly, was a bishop and built the small chapel across from the farmhouse. Pietro will open the door to the chapel so you can go inside. Posta Santa Croce has been a sheep farm and an olive grove for decades. Pietro continues to make excellent olive oil from the trees on this large area of land. He walked us through the olive grove to the fruit trees (cheery and apricot) that we were welcome to pick and eat. The landscape is quintessential Puglia - dry and rocky yet fertile. Pietro and his family spent years restoring the farmhouse and the gorgeous stone walls and surroundings to share with others to visit and experience this beautiful landscape. He has plans to build a pool amongst the old stones which will be idyllic. I stayed in the Cerere apartment. The entrance was up an outer stone staircase to the first floor apartment. It was wonderful - very cosy and quiet. I would say the decor is historic rustic chic. I loved this aesthetic it works so well here. The apartment had a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom (queen size bed), a balcony, an upper library/reading area, as well as a lookout once used by a guard years ago. Pietro restored the 19th fresco in the lookout. It is a dreamy spot to sit and read or just to look or think. And the views from the apartment out over the land and out to the sea were divine. Pietro and Giusy were so thoughtful, bringing us fresh fruit and bread, and leaving fruit juices, wine, pasta and sauce in the mini fridge for us to make our own dinners. It really was delicious. Pietro also gave us a lift into town to catch the train as we did not have a car and that was so helpful and greatly appreciated. I am so happy to have stayed with Pietro and Giusy at Posta Santa Croce. It is an absolutely beautiful farmhouse/masseria lovingly restored, with a level of genuine hospitality that warrants huge accolades. I loved everything about Posta Santa Croce, and highly recommend it for those seeking an authentic experience. I would go back in a heart beat. Grazie mille, Rhonda