Villa Katia

The Local Area "Alto Salento"

 

Villa Katia is situated in the idyllic rural area of Alto Salento, in the very heart of Puglias olive oil and wine producing ​Salento region. This unspoilt and tranquil region of Puglia is an unexplored cultural gem at the heel of the Italian peninsula.

 

10 minutes drive away from the Villa is the historic Baroque town of Francavilla Fontana. The Town retains its architectural charm, from its time under the Imperiali family in the 16th century, whilst still offering all modern comforts. The many Piazze come alive at night with families spending the long warm summer evenings flicking between the many bars and resturants, in stereotypical Italian fashion.  The Pugliese antipasti found in the restaurants tucked away on the tree lined streets of the Centro Storico, are well worth a try. On Saturdays throughout the year the town is filled by the confusion and colours of the local market with wares from aubergines to antiques being peddled on the streets.

 

Francavilla has many supermarkets within walking distance of the city centre, with fruit and vegetable sellers on every corner. A large supermarket and shopping mall complex can be found 20 minutes from the house at Mesagne, in the direction of Brindisi. A short distance from the house is the conveniently located L'Erede bakery, selling fresh bread and Taralli.

 

The local region has plenty of activities to offer, the walled medieval city of Oria is well worth a visit, built on the site of pre-Roman settlements. Further afield the beautiful hilltop town of Locorotondo and UNESCO site of Alberobello are not to be missed. Towards the east coast is the impressive white city of Ostuni, famed for its restaurants.

 

​Being centrally located visitors can easily access either coast of Puglia. The beautiful beaches at Torre Santa Sabina and Specchiolla are family friendly, with plenty of seaside amenities. On the west coast the shallow Sandy beaches in the nature reserve at Castellaneta Marina allow less confident swimmers the chance to get their feet wet! Beautiful beaches and views can be found all the way down the coast from Taranto, highlights are Marina di Pulsano and Porto Cesareo.

 

 

 

 

Airports and access to the Villa

 

The nearest airport is situated at Brindisi, 40 minutes from the Villa, served by Alitalia and Ryanair among others. Bari airport is further away, approximately an hour and a half drive.

 

The area is well connected to the rest of Italy by the E90 motorway which leads to Francavilla.

To and from Brindisi, ferries also run to the Greek mainland, croatia and  Aegean Islands.