BOUTIQUE SMALL GROUP PACKAGE
Nicknamed the heel of Italy, Puglia, in Italy’s warm south, offers a charming laid-back atmosphere. The sun-baked land is dotted with fortified castles and whitewashed trulli, Puglia’s distinctive conical-shaped dwellings, and carpeted with a silvery sea of ancient olive groves. It also has an incredibly rich natural larder. The area produces most of the country’s extra virgin olive oil, excellent full-bodied wines and is famous for intensely flavoured olives, almonds and figs. Other specialities include orecchiette pasta, seafood risotto, fava beans and burrata, the supremely creamy cheese similar to mozzarella. You won’t go hungry between your painting holiday sessions here in Puglia.
Sights to savour with your artistic eye include the turquoise sea and long sandy beaches, as well as 13th-century Swabian castle, the city of Lecce’s Baroque churches, the port of Gallipoli, and Otranto cathedral’s amazing mosaic floor, the work of a 12th-century monk. There’s plenty of inspiration for sketching and painting, with help and advice from our resident tutor.
Villa Accommodation
We use two villas in Puglia. Casino Pisanelli is an old favourite, a lovingly restored 17th-century hunting lodge in rural Salento, converted into a luxurious country retreat. Its formal gardens, picturesque pool, and shady courtyards planted with lemon and orange trees are idyllic and perfect for delicious meals al fresco.
Our newer property, in the charming coastal town of Gagliano del Capo at Puglia’s southern tip, offers traditional baroque architecture with a very stylish contemporary twist in its spacious interior, and is simply stunning. Both villas and locations offer exceptional artistic inspiration.
