The Masseria
An Old Stone Farmhouse, Brought Back to Life.
Restoring a 19th-century family property just outside Ostuni.
What Is a Masseria? (History & Roots)
Before “masseria” became a word tagged onto boutique hotels, it simply meant a working farm. Built throughout the Puglian countryside between the 16th and 19th centuries, these stone compounds were self-contained hubs where families lived, worked the land, and raised livestock.
They were practical, sturdy, and built to last. You can still see that everyday history carved right into our walls, from the original Aurisicchio family crest on the front facade to the ground-floor rooms that sheltered farm animals back in the 1800s.
Keeping the Character Intact
Like most traditional farmhouses here, the building has a clear split: the family lived in the brighter rooms upstairs, while livestock were kept directly below them.
Our goal isn’t to turn this into a modern showroom or gut its original character. Downstairs, in what will eventually be our main living room, we’re keeping the old stone feeding troughs along the walls. We’re simply chipping away decades of old plaster, exposing the natural stone underneath, and letting the original building speak for itself.
Getting the Basics Right First
Before we can think about furniture or paint colors, we have to tackle the basics. Sitting quiet for years means the house is entirely off-grid: no updated wiring, no modern plumbing, and no town water connection.
The Water: Puglia is famously dry, and water here has always been precious. We’re clearing and restoring three ancient underground stone cisterns beneath the house, while planning to drill a well (pozzo artesiano) so the property and garden have a reliable water source for years to come.
The Power: We’re completely rewiring the building from scratch. With Puglia getting endless months of sunshine, our dream down the track is to install solar panels with battery storage, bringing clean energy to a stone house built over 150 years ago.
Follow the Progress
We’re learning as we go, navigating local permits, doing physical work on site, and sharing the wins, delays, and everything in between on our journal.
Love notes
Our guests still talk about the candlelit tables and French jazz echoing in the garden. I felt entirely taken care of. Fleur is the definition of elegant ease.”
From the linen texture to the vintage flatware to the pacing of the evening, it was pure magic. If you’re after something deeply intentional and beautifully styled, Fleur is your team. can’t wait to work with them again.”
It wasn’t just well executed, it was soulful. My brand has never been more beautifully represented, and I can’t wait to work with them again. The event looked like a page from a French lifestyle magazine, and I’ve never felt more celebrated.”
