About Masseria dei Gesuiti
If Italy is the shape of a boot, this whip-smart historic house in Salento will have you falling head over the country’s heel. Parts of the estate date back to the 16th century; the sprawling stone property has unfolded and expanded upwards and outwards with wings and floors added over the past five centuries.
Vaulted ceilings, carved stone details, an 18th-century colonnade built by Jesuit monks: this is Italian craftsmanship at its most immersive – like setting foot in a grand museum, then being invited to stay a night (or 10). The design team tried their hardest to keep the interiors streamlined, but there is a sense that they couldn’t resist slipping in a few playful details, from fruit topiaries and bronze sculptures to calligraphy by Marta Lagna and sculpture by Alessandra Bray.
A team of staff (a housekeeper, concierge, caretaker and chef) run the house, so guests can truly switch off. On the grounds, you’ll find a chapel and agricultural buildings among centuries-old olive trees, plus two subterranean spaces once used as olive presses (one of which has been turned into a gym that resembles the Sassi stone dwellings of Matera). The house opens onto a wide-open garden with a 17-metre swimming pool, an 18-seat dining table, an elegant stone bar, a barbecue and wood-burning pizza oven.
The location
Masseria dei Gesuiti grants access to both Apulian countryside and Salento coastline, giving guests the chance to explore the region’s olive groves, beaches, towns and historic sites. Puglia’s beautifully baroque, limestone city of Lecce is just 20 minutes away by car, and Otranto’s picturesque port in the south is worth a day trip. The local town of Strudà is within walking distance (around 20 minutes), and a 15-minute drive delivers you to small sandy beaches such as Ultima Spiaggia delle Cesine.