Il Tabacchificio

• Bedroom 1: double bed (180x200cm), en-suite shower room with walk-in shower, in-room tub
• Bedroom 2: double bed (180x200cm), en-suite bathroom with walk-in shower
• Bedroom 3: two double beds (140x190cm), en-suite shower room
• Bedroom 4: double bed (round bed diameter 220cm) with in-room sink, and an en-suite WC with separate wet room
• Bedroom 5: double bed (180x190cm), en-suite shower room
• Bedroom 6: double bed (160x190cm), en-suite shower room

Reduced Occupancy

During the shoulder seasons, Il Tabacchificio has a reduced price for a group of up to 8 that only need up to 4 bedrooms. The bedrooms not required will be closed, but the rest of the villa, its amenities and its grounds will remain at the complete disposal of guests. If unspecified, the best bedrooms will be prepared for you.

Inside

the main entrance takes one into a voluminous open-plan space with a series of columns from which the impressively lofty vaulted ceilings fan out and upwards. Pristine white walls and polished grey concrete flooring reflect the shafts of light that flood in through banks of windows. The atmosphere is at once airy, luminous, soothing and refined.

To one side is the living area proper with a series of sink-in sofas and armchairs gathered around a TV and an impressive fireplace. The remainder of this open space is furnished with an eclectic mix of contemporary pieces, antiques, artwork, original features, reclaimed and upcycled wooden doors, and industrial reminders of Il Tabacchificio’s former life. All of these design themes continue throughout the property, and the abundance of space becomes a luxury in its own right.

A door to the left of the main entrance takes one into a generously proportioned double bedroom, which includes a four-poster bed, an in-room tub and a capacious en-suite bathroom with walk-in shower.

On the opposite side of the living area are two more similarly voluminous suites. The first is a double, whose en-suite bathroom features a sculptural, sensuously-shaped tub as well as a walk-in shower. The second, meanwhile, boasts two double four-poster beds and an en-suite bathroom with a large walk-in shower.

The living area flows into a long, wide hall that runs horizontally across the entire width of the property. Here there is a dining area, a couple of strategically placed sofas and more church-like lofty vaulted ceilings. contemporary art and a little games area. To the far left is the fourth bedroom, a double with in-room sink, and an en-suite WC with separate wet room.

Opposite here, a few stairs leading up to the dedicated cinema room with its large wall-mounted screen. To the far right of the hallway are two more bedrooms, both doubles with en-suite shower rooms. One has French windows opening out onto the gardens and the pool area, while the other has a mezzanine level.

An opening at the centre of the hallway, meanwhile, leads into an ante-room from where one may access the gardens (straight ahead), the guest bathroom (to the left), and, to the right, the wonderfully spacious contemporary kitchen, complete with dining table and French windows opening out into the gardens.

Outside

Il Tabacchificio sits at the centre of its extensive walled gardens, most of which has been laid to lawn. Olive and fruit trees around the perimetre add to the sense of privacy and seclusion, and towering, shade-giving Mediterranean pines flank the impressive driveway.

The generous dimensions of the grounds echoes those of the interiors and there are literally acres of space in which to have fun, relax and unwind. Most al fresco activity takes place in and around the pool area to one side of the property.

Accessed from the kitchen, a little hall and one of the bedrooms, this space features a large expanse of lawn, a shaded dining and living area, a large poolside pergola and, sitting in pride of place at the centre, the fabulous 19-metre-long pool itself. Last, but certainly not least, is the synthetic grass tennis court, located to one side of the gardens.

Il Tabacchifcio was built in the early 1930s as Masseria Pasturizza (a name the locals still use). An agricultural-industrial building, it housed a tobacco processing plant with facilities for storage, sorting, disinfestation and drying (the rooms on the left of the entrance were home to more than 50 stoves). About 100 workers were employed, including, during the 2nd World War, a few Polish soldiers and partisans.

For several years after the war, many basic foodstuffs in Italy were strictly rationed, and part of Il Tabacchificio was used as a warehouse for wheat and cereals. By the 1960s, the tobacco industry had gone into decline and the factory was sold to private owners, who set up a metal processing and frame production workshop.

After years of neglect, Il Tabacchificio was purchased by the present owners in 2014. They recruited Raffaele Centonze, an architect from nearby Lecce with a deep knowledge of Salentine building techniques and traditions, and embarked on a restoration project that would take four years. The aim was to maintain as much of the original character and structure as possible, so that the property’s heritage and soul could be appreciated and admired to the full. Although technically a masseria, Il Tabacchificio is significantly different from its older, more traditional neighbours, thanks to its generously proportioned, open spaces, the size and number of its windows, and its easy accessibility - there are no narrow doorways or steep staircases, for example.

Recycling was a leitmotif of the restoration project and many materials, such as doors and scaffolding planks, found a new life at Il Tabacchificio. The interiors showcase a very stylish and eclectic collection of local, ethnic, industrial and contemporary objets made of reclaimed wood, local stone and vintage plastics. These stand side by side with designer pieces collected by the owners over the years, while the Salentine farmer-chic vibe is subtly complemented by the Japanese concept of wabi sabi, which celebrates the interplay between beauty, simplicity, transience and imperfection.

Please note that there is no real shallow end in the pool.

You may also wish to know that the pool has a single depth of 1.5m.