San Vito dei Normanni, Apulia 72019

Set in 3.3 hectares of centuries-old olive grove in the countryside of San Vito dei Normanni, this newly built villa of 185 sqm internal floor area (312 sqm gross) is arranged around an internal courtyard where a monumental olive tree holds the whole design together. Local stone, clean lines and full-height glazing give the house its contemporary Mediterranean character, with indoor and outdoor rooms following one another all the way through. Six bedrooms, each served by its own bathroom, mean family and friends can all stay without anyone losing their privacy. An electric gate opens onto a long private driveway leading to a generous parking area, where a partly restored old stone building currently serves as storage and would convert easily into an annexe. From there you step into the courtyard, the heart of the property: the great olive tree, the squares of lawn and the exposed stone walls set the tone for everything else. The owners' wing is a single bright open space, with a sitting area around the fireplace and a wide picture window that frames the olive trees. The kitchen, contemporary and built around a central island, flows into the dining area and opens onto a covered veranda facing the pool. Two bedrooms complete this wing, one of them en-suite, along with a second bathroom. Soft colours, resin floors, underfloor heating and hot/cold air conditioning run throughout. On the far side of the courtyard are four independent suites, each with a private micro-cement bathroom, walk-in shower and its own veranda. Full-height windows and neutral tones dissolve the line between inside and out, and every suite keeps its own separate entrance. Outdoors, a 40 sqm salt-water infinity pool is framed by a local stone sun terrace and a timber deck. Under a cane pergola, a built-in outdoor kitchen with a table for eight makes summer evenings the best part of the day. The flat roof is accessible and carries a 15 kW photovoltaic system with battery storage, which keeps the house largely self-sufficient. The 33,600 sqm of olive-planted land guarantees complete privacy on every side. With six en-suite bedrooms, the villa works equally well as a private home with generous guest accommodation or as a small hospitality business, a boutique B&B or a retreat, keeping the owners' wing private and letting the four suites. Puglia continues to attract international buyers for its climate, its authenticity and the favourable tax treatment available to foreign retirees relocating to the south of Italy, and a freehold property of this standard is straightforward to own and to let. San Vito dei Normanni is conveniently placed for everything: twenty minutes from Brindisi international airport, fifteen from the Adriatic beaches and the Torre Guaceto nature reserve, twenty-five from Ostuni, thirty from Brindisi and under an hour from Lecce. Viewings by appointment.