Aia Del Vento

Villas with private swimming pools are a rarity in the whole of Italy and trulli with their own pools are almost unheard of in Puglia. Nevertheless, Aia del Vento consists of a traditional trullo comprised of four separate trullo cones and a modern villa part interconnecting with it.

The trullo itself is attractively furnished with traditional wooden furniture and plenty of character. The original door lintels are set quite low for modern heights and the curving White stone walls and conical ceilings are attractively showcased by subtle uplighting. A broad arch separates the dining room from the living room which has a decorative fireplace. The separate kitchen, twin bedroom with en suite shower room, double bedroom and bathroom are located off these rooms.

Attached to the trullo is the villa, which offers the additional two bedrooms. Although a later construction under a flat roof, this part of Aia del Vento displays rustic touches and the walls are decorated with reproductions of old lithographs of Cisternino. There is a working fireplace in the corner of the large open plan living-dining room and a well-equipped kitchenette too. The double bedroom has an en suite bathroom and the small twin bedroom is suitable for younger (or shorter) guests. A separate shower room completes the villa.

Seclusion is most definitely on offer here for the grounds are enclosed and entered only by the electrically-controlled gate. The lovely swimming pool lies in front of the villa, and a hedge bounding it provides further privacy. There is a small orchard of fruit trees adjacent to the pool, the fruits of which guests are more than welcome to help themselves to when in season.

The undulating walk of 1.5km to Cisternino only takes 25 minutes or so to cover, through narrow country lanes and passing trulli on either side. Cisternino has something of a reputation as a town of gastronomy with no shortage of restaurants and trattorias, which set their tables out in the narrow whitewashed streets and piazzas. As an alternative to eating out, the Monday morning market is a fabulous source of all the locally-produced ingredients which make the antipasta of Puglia truly sumptuous: pecorino cheese, local sausage and mounds of seasonal fruit and vegetables - fresh capers, purple aubergines, plump tomatoes and scarlet peppers. Back at Aia del Vento, the peppers can be chargrilled on the large barbecue. The poolside terrace is a lovely spot to enjoy an al fresco dinner, as the evening shadows lengthen and the lights of Cisternino across the valley are turned on, one by one.

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