02 August 2010

An Ancient Farm in the Italian Countryside


Every summer for two whole months, an Italian architect from Bologne takes himself and his family to the haven he created out in the countryside of the Pugliese peninsula (Italy's "boot") in a peaceful setting in harmony with nature. Can you imagine a simpler, more elemental escape than this renovated 17th C. farm situated among the olive groves, cactus and red earth?

Now, I know that this is not Provence, however it is spiritually very close & I think I could happily spend a summer month or two here..how about you? I mean, Nice is only a few hours drive northwest!


a rustic old table inherited from a grandmother, and
wooden chairs found at a brocante and painted in a khaki-brown color that
harmonizes perfectly with the colors of nature; the stairs
leading up to the vaulted loft give the feeling of
folded paper and the built in banquette is covered in striped linen


in the living room, limed plaster walls are one of the only
concessions to modern techniques in this otherwise authentically
traditional renovation; old hollow tree sections hold logs
for the fireplace, an old leather chair found at a flea market,
and a wooden stool found in a consignment shop furnish
this room with a serene and minimalist atmosphere


in the guest bedroom, the same limed plaster walls; a giant tableau made from
a light garland used in the local village in the form of a star is mounted on
white fabric and framed; it now functions not only as art, but take s the place
of lamps by infusing the room with a soft light; a large fish trap and small taboret
are used for bedside tables in this elegantly spare and simple room


keeping the renovations as simple as possible, the architect
opted for an Italian, or "walk in" shower with no other
partitions except the small wall separating
it from the bedroom; a Sicilian basket and an old
wooden ladder store bath products and hang towels


a monumental concrete table was placed outside
to create a convivial and welcoming atmosphere for friends and neighbors;
for dinners that continue late into the night, old strings of
light bulbs were made into these suspended pendants; in the spirit of
"recoup", the old wooden chairs are painted each a different color


ok, check out this "outdoor kitchen".. built into the stone walls,
it features a sink made from an ancient olive mill found nearby, as well
as two burners from an industrial site .. can you imagine the dinners
you could cook here? there's also a wood-burning oven nearby just to
round out the fabulousness of this amazing kitchen in "plein nature"


not to be overlooked is the outdoor shower built in the shadow
of an ancient olive tree near the aromatic herb garden
planted with rosemary; the shower is copper and
the water is warm...heaven!


extending the master bedroom outdoors is the terrace
built over the ancient ovens; a small stone wall makes
this the perfect place to spend time taking in
the magnificent countryside


***


from Marie Claire; translated from French by me
(in case you couldn't tell!)


***


Pugliese flag

the farmhouse is located out on Lecce between the
Adriatic and the Ionian Seas


Rustici Leccese

donut-sized concoctions of mozzarella,
bechamel and chopped tomatoes baked
inside phyllo dough
Yum!

(I can't find the recipe, anyone know how
to make these?)




24 comments:

  1. The farm is so extraordinarily pretty!!!
    I could spend *three* months there with a lot of books.
    Some cooking books for the lovely outdoor kitchen!!!

    Salut *Tasiaa


    P.S.
    Yesterday I created another BLOG about my profession! :) It's called Mrs. Crayon
    http://fraubuntstift.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  2. oh my is this wonderful.... ok, completely awesome! he he
    and i am so impressed with your translation skills...xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a beautiful place to rest and be away from the noisy city! Imagine all the dinners al fresco and the hours spent on the garden... It really is a dreamy place to be!

    ReplyDelete
  4. HI *Tasiaa! thanks for visiting..I'll go check out your new blog..

    Salut!

    Kit

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Pam, hehe...yep that's my French!! aren't you happy you finally got summer in Seattle? we are still *cool* down here in the SF Bay Area...can't wait to see those chairs you are working on!

    bisous

    Kit

    ReplyDelete
  6. HI Simony, after reading your blog I see why you like this farm..for a little while at least :)

    thanks for visiting!

    Kit

    ReplyDelete
  7. It does make you feel like you want to stop everything and take a break -- really quiet and peaceful, just relaxing!! Thanks for your really nice email!!

    XOXO
    Kiki

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Kiki!

    thanks for visiting..your blog has incredible images today, wow! the photos are funny/freaky!

    xx

    Kit

    ReplyDelete
  9. Enchanting, charming, and just sheer paradise, I would not want to leave, it has all the magic of life right there.
    The architect did an exquisite renovation.

    Joanny

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Joanny I agree, the architect used great restraint with superb results!

    thanks for visiting!

    xoxo Kit

    ReplyDelete
  11. Tres fabulous! I love the beautiful simplicity of it all! The outdoor concrete table and the hollowed out tree stumps are my favorite...I may have to steal those ideas for my future home.

    Have a wonderful week!
    Hope Ava

    ReplyDelete
  12. I did a Google Search on Rustici Leccesi and the first listing was for http://www.cookaround.com/yabbse1/showthread.php?t=16114&page=1; I did a Google Translation to open the page and voila! a recipe and 51 (!) pages of commentaries, only a few really useful (like chill the pastries before cooking).


    Ingredients for 6 cottages:

    - 500 g puff pastry
    - 125 gr mozzarella chopped
    - 150 g tomato sauce with pieces
    - White sauce (40 g flour - 30 g butter - 250 ml milk)
    - 1 egg
    - Oil, salt, pepper, nutmeg


    proceedings:

    1. Prepare a thick white sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

    2. Add the white sauce still on fire the chopped mozzarella, stir until it has melted thoroughly. Allow to cool.

    3. Season the tomatoes with a little olive oil and a bit 'of salt.

    4. Roll out the puff pastry (3-4 mm thick) and cut out six circles of about 10cm diameter and six circles of about 12cm diameter.

    5. Have smaller circles on a large spoonful of sauce and a tablespoon of sauce.

    6. Cover the disks topped with the largest circles, sealing the edges well.

    7. Arrange on a rustic tin with greaseproof paper and brush with beaten egg.

    8. Bake in preheated oven at 250 degrees for 10 minutes.

    9. Allow to cool and enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Beautiful photos! Is that an outdoor shower? I've always thought that would be fun (in a secluded setting of course)!

    I'd love for you to visit my blog: Cool Home Creations... http://coolhomecreations.blogspot.com

    Your blog is lovely!!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Here is the recipe for a treat that you can find fresh and tasty in Salento, Lecce, Italy. The rustic, here, can be found in bars as early as the early morning breakfast for lovers of salt, and until late at night as a good dinner .... try to believe, it's great .. at least you'll eat two pieces The ingredients for 6: - 500 gr puff pastry - 125g mozzarella, chopped - 150 g chopped tomatoes sauce - white sauce (40 g flour - 30 g butter - 250 ml milk) - 1 egg - oil, salt, pepper, nutmeg procedure: 1. Prepare a thick white sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg. 2. Add the white sauce still on fire the chopped mozzarella, stir until it has melted thoroughly. 3. Allow to cool. 4. Season the tomatoes with a little olive oil and a bit 'of salt. 4. Roll out the puff pastry (3-4 mm thick) and cut out six circles of about 10cm diameter and six circles of about 12cm diameter. 5. Have smaller circles on a large spoonful of sauce and a tablespoon of sauce. 6. Cover the disks topped with the largest circles, sealing the edges well. 7. Arrange on a rustic tin with greaseproof paper and brush with beaten egg. 8.Bake in preheated oven at 250 degrees for 10 minutes. 9. Allow to cool and enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  15. You have a lovely blog. One doesn't need to go to Europe to see all the sights now.
    I love your pictures and your projects.
    Have a nice day.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Good to find you here!I'm happy and delighted to see a great blog with a large quantity of images and information ! Especially design and art information !
    As about this farm...what can I say more then my previous commentators ? I love Italy,I love its nature,its colors,its art,its view,so...

    ReplyDelete
  17. why blogcatalog is spamming me with your blog? not good. not good.

    ReplyDelete
  18. This site is spam, Anon? Get real. If they hadn't sent it I wouldn't have discovered it.

    As for the blog, I was in Provence in 1990. Lovely, lovely and picturesque place. Look forward to returining one day.

    Meanwhile, I only drove through Bologna! Italy is filled with such gems in the countryside.

    Your translation is excellent - better than my French.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thanks for a mini-vacation!

    I tweeted your blog today.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I love the simplicity of the place and how creative they have been and used the resources around the area.

    The fireplace and chair look so cozy and inviting. Thanks for sharing!

    Kristine

    http://familyforest.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. Rustici Leccese looks fantastic! I did something similar but with pizza dough /bread dough. It was similar to a small calzone. I rolled the dough thin so it would not be so doughy and would rely more on the cheese and tomatoes. I did put some olive oil in with the cheese.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I would spend all of my time outdoors at that table.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I love your blog!
    It is the cheapest way to travel to Provence without leaving the couch...
    I´m saving to go there in my vacation.

    Hugs from Azores,

    Pipinha

    ReplyDelete

I would love to hear what you think! merci!

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails