Masseria Cervarolo is a manor farm with trulli, erected in the 16th century, on a 250 m hill which dominates a vast fertile plain 6 Km from Ostuni. Like many manor farms in Puglia, the buildings are created and modified over the course of the centuries according to farming and production practices. The place name 'Cervarolo” originates from the presence of deer (cervi) on the last foothills of the Murgia when the hills were covered in thick woodland. Annexed to the manor farm dedicated to our Lady of Sorrows (1798), there is a little church with a splendid polychrome Baroque altar and several frescoes. The church was a very important place of worship and this is witnessed by the findings of several votive offerings.
There are legends connected to Masseria Cervarolo which have made it a place of pilgrimage for those who are looking for some peace and serenity. It is also told that on the farm Spring comes a few weeks early and that the local farmers regulate their agricultural activity according to this “phenomenon”.
The restoration work, which lasted more than five years, was performed in absolute respect of the original architecture using the material recovered from the manor farm itself: Chianche (stone slabs), chiancarelle (stone shingles), blocks of limestone, etc. The building was renovated, after years of neglect, without altering its spontaneous architecture. Treasures like the splendid frescoes of the 18th century church or the great flagstones consumed by time, or the imposing vaults which seem to challenge all laws of physics have been returned to the light of day from under layers of plaster. The vaults, the trulli, the courtyards, the drystone walls, the altar, the fireplaces and the floors are made of white, sunny and candid stone.
Masseria Cervaroloe' has 18 rooms either inside the old building or in the trulli.
All the rooms have furniture that has been either expertly restored or made in full respect of tradition and enriched by handmade fabrics and additions.
the visitor stays in these splendid and cosy alcoves which were once places of work or simple daily life, surrounding themselves with a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
It is essential to protect the environment to preserve the precious natural reserves and the health of the planet. Masseria Cervarolo is busy playing its part by respecting the following essential points:
• using a photovoltaic system to obtain clean energy for all the needs of the structure
• keeping down atmospheric, water and ground pollution thanks, above all, to the use of more environmentally friendly products;
• correct management and sorting of waste;
• safeguarding the biodiversity in the areas under the direct control of the manor farm;
• healthy and proper eating, which partly employs regional organic food.
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