puglia weddings
Puglia, where the land meets the sea. It is one of Italy’s most remote tips, the heel of the boot. Until recently Puglia has remained a local area, remote even to the rest of Italy. But the secret is out and Puglia has become a hot spot and destination for international vacations and weddings.
Seafood is the specialty here and Puglia puts the regions endless coastline to good use. It is also where burrata cheese originated. But, above all, Puglia is known for its abundance of olive trees and accounts for 40% of olive oil production in Italy.
The central area of Puglia near Bari is famous for its “masserie” which is the local word for the large white farmhouses that dot the countryside. These masserie are being turned into hotels and inns and are very popular for weddings. The location that put Puglia on the map for destination weddings is Borgo Egnazia, hosting the wedding of Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel in 2012. It is by far the largest high quality villa hotel in Puglia with over 200 rooms and several restaurants spread out across the vast property.
This was the first 5 star masseria in Puglia and is owned by the same family as Borgo Egnazia which is just down the road a few miles. San Domenico has been a Leading Hotel of the World for many years and is an elegant, relaxed villa with 40 rooms for about 80 guests with a buyout. San Domenico has its own beach club on the sea just a stone’s throw away and events can be held here as well as at the main villa complex. They also have their own golf course.
The uber chic Rocco Forte hotel chain acquired the Torre Maizza a few years back and has done ample renovations in a traditional/contemporary style. It is now a 5 star hotel with 40 rooms, most of which are situated along its golf course. It is an intimate and picturesque option for a three day wedding buyout with about 60-100 guests, most of whom can stay onsite.
You can see from the photos of all three masserie above that the outward appearance is similar – large, boxy, white buildings. Since they were originally built as rural, multi purpose farmhouses, almost all are situated inland. Some of the best, and all those that I recommend above, are within walking distance to the the sea and have their own beach clubs.
