The word masseria means a fortified manor house in the middle of the countryside. They are impressively imposing constructions that were once the beating heart of local agricultural estates. These magnificent farmhouses dot the landscape and are structured much more like castles than a modern farmhouse.
Both the wealth of the region and its location on the coast made it particularly susceptible to foreign invasions. There are dozens of such masserie in Salento designed to protect it from outside attacks.
Under the feudal system these fortresses controlled vast hectares of land and the masseria was organized like a sort of autonomous village. They were generally very large in size and built of thickly-carved blocks of tuff stone. The core of the masseria was its large courtyard. One side was occupied by the manor house of the landlord or his massaro (farm manager). Next to it, on the lower level, there were several additional buildings for the daily farm work (storerooms, workrooms, stables, gristmills, oil mills, wine cellars, wells and tanks for the water).
The masseria was supplemented with strong fortification elements: extremely thick protective perimeter walls designed to keep out unwanted visitors, ladders which were pulled up from the inside, watchtowers built for defensive purposes. The roofs were made of stone slate to improve the masseria’s fire-resistance. The main building was often connected to a chapel and large enough to shelter the local population from frequent assaults and invasions. Beyond those lay the fields and farmland.
In the 18th and 19th centuries the need for the defensive elements was not the priority and the central residence was gradually transformed with lavish ornamental features: statues, grand external staircases, halls with frescoed ceilings, fountains, terraces and loggias.
But despite their severe unwelcoming origins, today many restored masserie turned into exclusive holiday resorts and have helped earn Puglia its well-known reputation for hospitality.
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