Close your eyes and picture Salento. You will probably think of centuries-old olive trees, expanses of red earth kissed by the sun, and masserie standing alone in the silence of the countryside. But there is another story, more intimate and secret, harder and more real, that beats in the heart of our small historic villages. It is the story of the Urban Masseria.
A farming ecosystem among the alleys
When our family first crossed the threshold of this old 1700s palazzo thirty years ago, we did not know we were about to reawaken a piece of rural history. Restoration after restoration, the stone spoke to us, revealing that this was not a simple noble residence but a true farming ecosystem set among the alleys of the village.
Today our Urban Masseria is a place where time slows down, a working farm where the fruits of the surrounding fields come to life within centuries-old walls.
What it means to cross our threshold
A journey into the 1700s through great stone archways
Still today you enter through the old gateway where the utrainu once passed — the traditional wooden cart that brought the day's harvest back to the village. Here, the feudal lord's reserves and the farmers' share were stored safely away.
The warmth of the hypogeum and the life of the threshing floor
Unlike other estates, our underground cave did not house an olive press: it was the warm shelter for the animals during winter. On the ground floor, the old sun-drenched threshing floor was the stage where the grain was divided, dried and toasted, its thirst quenched by an immense cistern that collected rainwater.
The aromas of the old fire kitchens
Our economy is strictly circular. Everything we grow in our fields arrives here, in the heart of the masseria. To sit at our table means to enjoy a lunch prepared in the old fire kitchens, where authentic flavours are released by the wood and by recipes handed down through generations.
Floured hands with Nonna Tetta
There is no trip to Puglia without having touched tradition with your own hands. Our interactive workshops are a magical rite for adults and children alike. Under the watchful eye of Nonna Tetta, you can plunge your hands into the semolina to shape orecchiette and the traditional minchiareddi, or discover the magic of milk turning into primo sale and fresh ricotta.
The ancient ritual of the harvest
Those who visit us in autumn can leave the village and follow us into the fields, taking part first-hand in the olive harvest. It is a moment of celebration, of shared work beneath the branches of the olive trees, before tasting the new oil that tingles in your throat, just as the farmers did centuries ago.
The traveller's rest in the old dwellings
When evening falls over the village, there is nothing more restoring than retreating to our guest rooms. There, where farmers once lodged after long days in the fields, today we offer a quiet rest, sheltered by thick stone walls that keep the cool in summer and the warmth in winter.
It is not a holiday: it is an invitation to the table
Living an Urban Masseria is not just a holiday: it is an invitation to sit at the table with us. It is the promise of an authenticity you will not find on the usual tourist circuits, but only in the homes of those who work the land and love it every single day.
We, the Protopapa family, are waiting for you in Matino, to share with you the flavour, the history and the soul of the real Salento — and to tell you its story through the discovery of our Masseria and our village!