A 17th-Century Italian Farmstead Is Restored as an Idyllic Vacation Rental
Local firm Valari transforms a rustic masseria into an expansive holiday getaway overlooking the Adriatic Sea.
Local firm Valari transforms a rustic masseria into an expansive holiday getaway overlooking the Adriatic Sea.
Architects Nicolò Lewanski and Federica Russo, cofounders of the Italian firm Valari, had been working with a client who wanted to build a home overlooking the Adriatic Sea in Puglia, but they couldn’t find an adequate plot of land. The client was about to walk away from the project when Lewanski and Russo came across a rustic masseria (farmstead) dating back to the 1600s. It was in ruins, but the unmatched view sold them.
Masseria Belvedere is a restored 1600s farmstead located in Carovigno, a small town in Italy’s Puglia region near the Adriatic Coast. Architects Nicolò Lewanski and Federica Russo of local firm Valari took great care to preserve the existing ruins, cleaning every individual stone.
Photo by Lorenzo Zandri
"It might be a cliché, but when we went up on the first-floor terrace, the spatial perception just exploded," say the architects. "We told each other, ‘We have to do this one.’"
However, the client was hesitant, as it would be a much more complicated project than a new build. Not wanting to lose the opportunity, the duo proposed a partnership: Lewanski went in as one of the owners, giving the client reassurance in the investment and allowing the architects complete creative freedom over the restoration.
The eight-bedroom, eight-bath vacation rental is spread across two wings: a converted stable and the original masseria. Together they form an L-shape around a central garden with terraces and an infinity pool.
Photo by Lorenzo Zandri
Rather than turn the centuries-old property into a private residence, the team opted to create a holiday rental—a venture that the owners would still be able to enjoy, but would offer a better return on investment. The architects wanted to preserve as much as possible of the existing masseria, which had been built over rock and partially nestled into the mountainside. Much of the original facade was intact, and the structural outline was visible, but little else remained.
The architects say the decision to leave the exterior stone exposed caused them "to lose sleep," as most traditional masserias are coated with white plaster. "Then, we looked at the facade and saw how you can read all of the additions," say the architects. "Every 50 years or so, they added one room toward the valley. It was too much of a good story to cover up."
Photo by Lorenzo Zandri
See the full story on Dwell.com: A 17th-Century Italian Farmstead Is Restored as an Idyllic Vacation Rental
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