Explore 23/3/15
Located between the cities of Bari and Brindisi on the Puglian coast is the Masseria Cimino . . . an 18th century farmhouse that has been transformed into a very stylish boutique hotel.
Last year as part of the photography workshop I attended in Italy, I had the wonderful experience of staying here. The Masseria is one of those places where your jaw drops from the minute you arrive and even more so when you enter the beautifully restored farmhouse in which great care has been taken to preserve the original architectural features, including the building materials and colours of the old farmhouse.
Picture a cluster of whitewashed farm buildings surrounding a central courtyard, that are nestled in amongst expanses of vegetable gardens and century old olive groves. It is beautiful beyond words and despite it’s modern day transformation it has retained every bit of it’s heritage and culture.
The Masseria was built just meters from the Adriatic sea, adjacent to an archeological site containing the ruins of the ancient roman city of Egnathia. Blocks of stone originating from the perimeter wall of Egnathia were used in the construction of the Masseria and markings dating back to the ancient roman period can still be clearly seen on the walls of the farmhouse.
We were lucky enough to have the entire resort to ourselves and over the course of three days not only did we take in the beautiful landscapes, food and accommodation, but we also had the opportunity to participate in a series of interiors and food styling workshops all within the privacy of what seemed like our very own resort . . . at least for three days anyway.
For me it was like one of those places you see in a luxury travel magazine and drool over, never for a minute thinking you would ever have the opportunity to stay or experience anything like it . . . all that was missing was Ray as the Masseria has an incredibly romantic feel about it too . . . it’s not difficult to see why it was voted one of the best 101 hotels in the world only a few years ago. Did I mention there is also an amazing pool complete with very chic day beds (which unfortunately there was no time to indulge in) and an 18 hole championship golf course rated amongst the best in Italy!
Pictured here on the right is the entrance to my room . . . upon opening the pale blue door (and after you have once more picked your jaw up off the ground), you feel a wave of calm overcome you . . . it’s like nothing I have ever experienced . . . white on white furnishings, a four-poster bed with billowing folds of the softest muslin, crisp white linen, beautiful stone floors and a stone fireplace . . . artfully rusted farm tools and relics adorn the walls along with old picture frames, some empty some filled with photos of old and and either side of my bed, backlit vases filled with olive branches sit in little alcoves in the walls creating a beautiful ambiance . . . it was breathtaking beyond belief.
Opposite my bed sits a desk to my right and a door to the bathroom, above which hangs an old wooden chair . . . I was lucky enough to score the only room with a bath, making me the envy of all, and I made sure I made full use of it too, especially as we had been on the go for five days straight by the time we arrived here.
The bathroom itself was crafted using local stone for the sinks and marble for the showers and bath tubs . . . in contrast to the white on white of the bedroom, the bathroom was a palette of soft neutral coloured stone and soft powder blues, antique brass fittings and more rustic relics adorned the walls . . . I never wanted to leave!
The photo featured here on the left is one that I took during one of our food styling photography workshops while here. The workshop itself was amazing . . . we were spoilt for choice with tables laden full of the freshest produce, seafood, pasta, pastries, fresh fruits and cheeses and antipasto along with the most amazing selection of props at our disposal too . . . beautiful cutlery and linens and all in the same colour palettes as the farmhouse and its furnishings too . . . I was like a kid in a lolly store and it was like walking straight into a professionally organised food magazine shoot!
It was a wonderful three days spent here . . . filled with wonderful experiences and wonderful memories and so many more photos which are still to come!
You can see more of my Colour Palette series here:
Colour Palettes_Italy
Colour Palettes_Cafe
Colour Palettes_Coast
