The building
An ancient masseria in the heart of Salento
ANCIENT AND EXCLUSIVE MASSERIA
Inland
of Capo di Leuca
An old and exclusive village farmhouse located in a small and quiet town in Salento, in the immediate hinterland of Capo di Leuca.
The few original remains, dating back to the end of the 1700s, show Corte Cucciata as a small nucleus inhabited by peasants, with an area used for sheltering animals and cultivated fields all around.
Everything testifies to this. The hidden courtyard (“cucciata”) behind the mighty surrounding wall, the rooms with thick tuff walls to protect from the summer heat, the old vaults of dizzying heights, the old hearth where families gathered to warm up and share the food cooked in old pots.
Over time, the Borgo antico, the historic center of the town characterized by its narrow streets, developed outside the thick surrounding wall with the Chiesa Matrice which preserves an important statue of Saint Michael the Archangel by the Neapolitan sculptor Nicola Fumo.
the rural salento
Timeless charm
Tracing the history of this precious testimony of rural Salento, we tried to revive it by preserving those materials that are typical of this area: the old paving stones in the courtyard, the old “chianche” (a typical construction material) recovered from antique dealers in the area and placed in the porch and around the swimming pool, the natural Lecce stone for the floors and “cocciopesto” for the bathrooms, used according to ancient tradition.
The swimming pool was deliberately built in the center of the field, once the productive heart of the farm, while the citrus grove and the vegetable garden came to life all around and today they allow us to taste the old, authentic flavors of the Salento tradition.
Corte Cucciata is a small treasure chest: inside the period furniture is all authentic, or they are family pieces that have been carefully restored or carefully selected from local antique dealers and artisans. The fabrics, in natural linen and cotton, have been specially made by fine local weavers. Every detail contributes to transmitting the flavor and atmosphere of a distant era, that of old farmhouses, an emblem of peasant civilization intimately linked to the history of the Apulian region.
The great love for this timelessly charming estate is also reflected in the choice to equip the entire structure with a solar energy system in order to minimize the environmental impact and safeguard the beauty of these places.
about us
OUR HISTORY
Our love for Salento began more than ten years ago. Since our first holiday in Apulia, it has been a slow but growing love affair.
The power of the colours, the blue of the sky and water, the red of the rich soil and the fiery sunsets over the sea entered us and we could no longer do without them.
The same thing happened with the food, the true, intense flavours of the products of the land and sea. And then, above all, with the Salentini, thanks to their hospitality and helpfulness, never intrusive but always present.
This is how the masseria appeared one day, hidden behind the high surrounding wall, behind the ancient Church of Santa Maria della Misericordia, right in the historic centre of Castrignano del Capo.
Little remained of the original farmhouse, dating back to the end of the 18th century, of the nucleus inhabited by the farmers, the area used as animal shelter and the cultivated part.
The restoration work took more than two years in compliance with the constraints of the Superintendency of Fine Arts. This was possible thanks to the irreplaceable work of local craftsmen, who have handed down the art and construction techniques from generation to generation, diligently recovering existing materials and parts and reproducing architectural elements typical of the Salento such as the barrel, star and double star vaults, true masterpieces of skill and tenacity.
Today, Corte Cucciata is not a new reality, it has always been there, it has just come back to life.
