Let’s Escape To Italy: Luxury Country Living with Perfect Hideaways

Step into a world of Italian bliss at Casa Olivetta offering luxury holiday accommodation on an olive farm in Ostuni, Puglia, Italy. This is a foodie paradise, with a landscape dotted with the curious conical-shaped roofs of trulli houses.

When Australian fashion designer Collette Dinnigan discovered she had a knack for flipping properties, her talents gradually moved towards interior design. But both were time-consuming and so one simply had to give, especially when she and her husband discovered They enlisted the help of Australian, Rob Potter-Saunders, owner of a 16th century farmhouse south of Lecce, who helped bring the pale limestone masseria to life as unique holiday accommodation.

A two-year process of renovating and furnishing began, starting with the preservation of its stone courtyards. Reclaimed antico terracotta flooring and natural timber was installed to offset the calm limewashed walls before decorating.

Today, their time is spent between their beautiful apartment in Rome, Australia and Puglia. Casa Olivetta is a unique home they love, especially for its light and the dryness that is so evocative of Australia.

Insider knowledge about Puglia’s hidden gems

Collette shares her local black book with guests: her favourite ceramics town is Grottaglie for Nicolo Fasano Ceramiches; for linens and soft furnishings she visits Tessitura Calabrese near Lecce. Her favourite seaside spot is the village of Tricase or Santa Maria di Leuca, both great for swims and seafood lunches.

Casa Olivetta is perfect hideaway that is part of the Moroseta Homes portfolio with its architectural design ethos inspired by the original six-bedroomed ‘mother farmhouse’, Masseria Moroseta.

Today there are nine properties, mostly within 15 minutes of each other but Casa Olivetta is a hidden getaway, slightly further out in the countryside on an olive producing farm.

Each one benefits from the insider knowledge and services offered by the Moroseta team: you can have seasonal breakfast, lunch or dinner dishes delivered to your door or ask their culinary team to send over their expert pizzaiolo, or pizza chef, to show you how real Italian pizza is made.

Or you can order grocery boxes, book massage therapists and yoga sessions or even a personal trainer to come to you.

Food lovers should get in early and book the legendary dinner experience at the Masseria, curated by bold young Chef Georgia Eugenia Goggi. Her creative daily menu is inspired by what is freshly picked in her flourishing garden (and take it from us that their vegetarian dishes are out of this world…). Moroseta guests get preference, but we suggest you plan your holiday with us around your dinner date as everyone’s flocking to Puglia to experience Georgia’s delicious dishes.

What we love!

That you can do a cookery course in Brindisi with Francesco and Julie, who teach traditional Apulian dishes in their home in Oria (Brindisi), with ingredients sourced from local cheesemakers, farmers, and winemakers.
You can also book the boat, Margherita Moroseta II, moored in the port of Gallipoli – a glamorous way to spend the day sailing this beautiful coastline and coves on the west coast of Puglia.

What you need to know…

The minimum stay is four nights during low season (November to April), and seven nights in high season (May to October).
The casa is located between the towns of Cisternino and Ostuni, both worth exploring, and it’s a 20- minute drive to the coast.
Casa Olivetta is 35 minutes from Brindisi Airport (flight time from Rome to Brindisi is just over an hour) and one hour from Bari Airport. Private transfers are expensive, so it’s best to hire a car to get here.
Housekeeping is included every second day, with bed linen changes every fourth day.
Dinners at the Masseria are only on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, from 8 pm on communal tables. Booking is essential.
If Casa Olivetta is unavailable to book for your dates, browse our other perfect hideaways in Puglia.