valle d’Itria, Puglia
When people think of the region of Puglia, their mind immediately goes to the images from the Valle d’Itria. The valley is a high fertile plain located in the centre of Puglia. In contrast to the towns on the coastline, the Valle d’Itria highlights the gently rolling countryside, vineyards, spectacular olive oil groves, picturesque towns and the iconic trulli. Some of the towns in this area include Locorotondo, Martina Franca, Cisternino, Ostuni and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Alberobello.
When I was planning my travels to Puglia, I of course had this area mapped out on my itinerary but I didn’t think I would connect with this area as much as I did. Since there are so many towns in this area, I was a little overwhelmed trying to decide where our home base would be. Whenever there are a lot of surrounding towns in one area, I always think its best to avoid staying in the busiest towns. I tend to gravitate to quaint, less touristy towns and visit the more popular towns during the day.
Keeping on this pattern, I found the town of Cisternino. From my research, it checked off all of my boxes, so I decided to stay here for 3 nights while in the Valle d’Itria. If you are having difficulty choosing where to stay in this area, you can be rest assured that there is really no wrong choice; all of the towns are located very close in proximity to one another and are relatively easy drives so you won’t miss much!
Due to the close proximity of each of the towns, you can knock off a few each day. We chose to see Alberobello and Locorotondo on the same day and could’ve probably fit in one other town, depending on your level of ambition. Be sure to visit Alberobello in the morning as it gets super packed later on in the day.
I could write paragraphs on Alberobello, it is such a unique little town and really what draws tourists to the region of Puglia. The trulli have been around for hundreds of years. The structures were built as a way to evade taxes. When the property tax collectors came to town, the residents would dismantle the structures so the homes couldn’t be assessed. When the collectors left, the residents would quickly reassemble their homes and away they went! Clever.
While visiting Alberobello, I recommend exploring the streets and doing some shopping. There are a number of great little shops including 100% linen products, food and cured meat and clothing. We did our shopping and then stopped to have a cappuccino in the streets, watching the world go by whilst listening to music being played. Since it is such a touristy town, the prices are a little steeper than some of the other surrounding towns, so I recommend heading to Locorotondo for a lunch break and some more exploring.
After Locorotondo, we headed back to our accommodation in Cisternino. We stayed in one of the many masserias in the area. An Italian masseria is a fortified farmhouse on an estate built around the 16th century. These buildings typically included a dwelling house belonging to the landowner, the houses of the peasants who worked on the land and stables and warehouses for forage and crops. Many of these historical sites have been converted to holiday homes, b&bs and luxury hotels although some remain as working farms and house tourists.
I opted for a masseria equipped with a kitchen. When travelling, I always try to have at least one accommodation with a kitchen so I can take advantage of the local produce to create my own dishes. It allows me to be creative in the kitchen and try some new dishes that inspire me based on what is available in the local grocery stores and markets. Our masseria, Borgo Altobello, had a lot of produce conveniently located on the property that was available to the guests for consumption. Having a fig tree right outside my door and at my disposal was definitely a highlight for me. Simple, fresh ingredients make all the difference – I could make these same exact recipes at home and it would never taste as good as it did in Italy!
The cuisine of this area is truly a food lovers dream! From the capocollo ham of Martina Franca, the meat bombette of Cisternino or the DOC white wine of Locorotondo. The philosophy of food sourcing in this area is “0km”, meaning the food is sourced from a very close proximity to where it is consumed and typically within a very small radius. For the people of Puglia, it is not solely about freshness, it is about supporting local farmers, butchers, artisans, etc. The small-scale producers are really celebrated and highlighted; a true art that has not been lost in the modernization of this area.
It was so inspiring to see this sense of community reflected in each dish and something that really aligned with me during my travels. I try to bring this philosophy back home wherever possible and reflect this methodology in my cooking. Building relationships with local small businesses and sourcing ingredients from the farmers directly has been something I have incorporated into my cooking. I can guarantee you that you will be living a dream experience surrounded by a unique and unforgettable atmosphere while visiting this special area of Puglia.
Tomato Tomatoe 
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