The second stop is for lovers of Puglia and for those who have yet to discover it.

After the green heart of Italy, Umbria, our journey continues south, where the landscape opens up and unfolds in clear lines, among centuries-old olive trees and horizons that smell of salt and sun.

We have arrived in Puglia, a frank and generous land, which welcomes without making too much noise but stays with you.

We are in Carovigno, a small village in the Upper Salento that still preserves the authentic soul of this land. A few kilometers from Ostuni and the Regional Park of the Coastal Dunes, Carovigno is a privileged window on the Adriatic coast, suspended between the green of the monumental olive groves and the blue of a clear sea. A territory made of farms, sheep tracks, ancient watchtowers and sincere flavors, where tradition is intertwined with a beauty that feels like home.

Here, where time slows down and the silences know how to tell stories, we understood that true wealth is often invisible: it is a space that breathes, it is a house that welcomes you, it is a quiet that you discover and that you can no longer give up.

E forse, in fondo, è proprio questa la forma più semplice – e preziosa – di pace.

Day 1 – The arrival and the colors of silence

Villa Puspo appeared to us like this: like a house that was waiting for us. White, with its soft and full shapes, the living stone and the light that bounces off the walls. A tidy garden, the scent of the Mediterranean scrub and the sea that you can feel on you.

We are just a few minutes from the beaches of the Adriatic coast, but here you feel far from everything. The villa is completely independent, immersed in an olive grove of almost one hectare, with large outdoor spaces that offer privacy and freedom. The private infinity pool, the furnished pergola for outdoor lunches and dinners, and a relaxation area with a view of the surrounding countryside: everything invites you to slow down.

We left our suitcases without rushing, as you do in places that ask for nothing, except to be lived in. Some of us chose the shade of the pergolas to rest; others got lost in the cool and bright rooms; someone stayed in the garden barefoot for a while… A little girl found colors and brushes in a drawer and, in the silence of the early afternoon, she began to paint: small slow gestures, with care, as you do with the first precious pages of a block of paper… a collection of colored dreams to be completed slowly.

Day 2 – Hands in the dough and full hearts

The day passed lightly, between towels spread out in the sun and whispered chats. Villa Puspo invites you to slow down, to take off your shoes, to be outdoors as much as possible. Here, time seems like that of an “old summer”: slow, real, made of little things that remain.

Every corner of the villa is designed for well-being: from the rooms with ensuite bathrooms and direct access to the garden, to the independent annex for those looking for even more privacy. Each environment is furnished with taste, with local materials and details that tell the story of the place, in a perfect balance between tradition and contemporary comfort.

In the evening, all together, we gathered in the kitchen. Waiting for us was Rosa, a cheerful Apulian cook with expert hands, those that have always kneaded without needing to read the doses… Without a scale, but by “gut feeling“. Flour, tomatoes and mozzarella; family stories and the scent of freshly picked basil.

It was more than just a pizza-cooking class: it was a ritual. We plunged our hands into the warm dough, we passed each other the ingredients, we laughed together like old friends, waiting for the dough to rise while the sky turned pink. And then, all around the table, under the warm lights of the veranda, we ate our fragrant pizzas, shared light words, enjoyed a summer evening that we will surely not forget.

At Villa Puspo, simplicity is a value and hospitality is measured in the real details, the ones you remember.

Experiences like this – and many others, including local flavors, wellness and discovery of the territory – can be booked directly on emmavillas.com.

A journey that opens like a door to the south

The second stop of ICON Italy took us to a place where the essential becomes beauty. Where nature and conviviality find space, without needing anything else, welcoming big and small dreamers in search of a new and magical place.

The journey continues: the next stop will be again in Puglia, with new atmospheres to discover and other stories to tell.

Curious? Keep following us.

Stop after stop we will take you with us into the most authentic Italy, one exclusive villa at a time.