Masseria Auraterrae

What the property says

Masseria Auraterrae is a farm village with a long list of former lives. The masseria says it began as a fortified tower, then served as a resting place for wayfarers, then as a place of prayer and cultivation for monks, and finally as a farm dwelling.

The rooms are the reason to look closely. There are 22, and none repeats another, because each was reclaimed from a working or living space of the old farming community.

It sits in estimated price band 4 of 5, between Polignano a Mare and Conversano, with olive groves, vineyards and orchards around it.

Where you sleep

The smaller rooms measure 22 to 24 m² and come from the old woodshed and stables, cow troughs included. Some have a small balcony over the sea and the vineyard. Six of the 22 rooms have a Turkish bath, three a fireplace and four an outdoor tub.

Two rooms carry a story. The former sheep stables hold rooms with a private garden and an outdoor hydromassage tub, designed for guests who want total privacy. The former pigeon house has a Turkish bath and a private terrace.

The largest room, at 37 m², is the former quarters of the massaro, the farm master. Pick by the old function of the room, because that decides the shape.

Where you eat

The restaurant occupies the old refectory where the monks gathered. It is open to non-residents only on reservation, so book before you arrive if you are not staying.

The kitchen builds on Adriatic seafood, meats and dairy from Murgia and the Valle d’Itria, and vegetables and cereals partly grown in the masseria’s garden. The cellar includes wines from the masseria’s own vineyards, among them an IGP Bianco Puglia and an IGP Susumaniello Rosato.

The oven turns out fresh bread and sweets for breakfast. The masseria lists sociable cooking classes with the chef, which cover orecchiette, focacce, taralli and almond paste.

The menu puts the contemporary and the traditional side by side: orecchiette made with black chickpea flour, cherry tomato and cacioricotta, or fried fish from the Adriatic. A four-course chef’s set menu is also listed. In the garden spaces called Orto and Aia, the menu is mostly fish and vegetables.

The setting

The masseria stands between Polignano a Mare and Conversano. It describes itself as near Bari airport, at the gateway to the Valle d’Itria.

The wellness side is substantial, and the masseria says its massages are performed by specialized operators.

There are two outdoor infinity pools: 150 m², looking toward Polignano a Mare, and 70 m², with hydromassage, heated in cooler periods, looking toward the San Vito Abbey. An outdoor barrel sauna looks over the sea and the countryside, and there is a fitness area and a list of massages. Guided sessions of yoga, yoga with sound healing and mobility flow run on request.

The grounds include olive groves, vineyards, orchards and a grove with two donkeys, Roberto and Rocco.

Good to know

• The restaurant takes non-residents on reservation only.
• Weddings of 50 to 300 guests are hosted, with civil ceremonies only.
• The 70 m² pool is heated in cooler periods.
• Yoga sessions are on request.
• Opening months, children and pets are not confirmed here.
• Room sizes run from about 22 to 37 m², so check the room by its old function.
• Price band: 4 of 5 (estimated: no official rate found).

Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere

Couples and friends who want a hotel with a real farm history and two pools will be happy here, and so will wedding parties planning a civil ceremony. The rooms reward guests who enjoy odd shapes and stone walls.

If you would rather stay in a town, look at Palazzo Indelli in the old city of Monopoli. Masseria Monet is smaller, with nine rooms and an old oil mill spa.

Getting there

Masseria Auraterrae is on Strada Comunale Maringelli, near Polignano a Mare, in the Monopoli and Polignano area.

By car, take the Polignano a Mare and Conversano exit, as the masseria directs. The masseria stands in open country between the two towns, so plan on a car, and check the straight-line distances to both airports in At a glance.