Authentic hospitality, rooted in the land and the heart
A place of the soul, created to welcome
History
Nature
Values
Masseria Francescani was born from the need to create an imaginary bridge between the traditions of the past and the ethical values of modern sustainability. Every single brick that composes it is a memory and a clear testimony of a distant time, with its origins and history.
To that history, which we strongly wanted to preserve, we have woven ethical, sustainable, autarkic choices. Every feature of the Masseria has been a constant and pervasive stream of thought for us.
We became infected by its historic and concrete beauty, its linearity and refinement, its immense spaces and the greenery that dominates its exteriors.
We allowed ourselves to be overwhelmed by each of its elements: the imposing Lecce stone structure that stands sumptuous and guards distant histories; the surrounding territory, raw, wild, Mediterranean; the light, that typical of the South, warm and penetrating. And it is Puglia that inspired us, this Salento of unchanging simplicity and authenticity, which invites us to slow the pace and savor every moment with deep gratitude.
We have learned to stay listening to the silent nature that surrounds us in this strip of land. Repetitive, calm, powerful. We have given ourselves completely to our guests in the only way Apulians know: with love and extreme dedication. A welcome that embraces but does not invade, that has always flowed in our veins, yet is constantly changing, projecting into the future.
Sustainability
Living on a Masseria, from the earliest times, has meant habits and modus operandi different from the common ones. II slow passage of time is a primordial characteristic of it: in fact, on the masseria, everything glides, everything flows, everything moves toward a slow, meticulous, rural unfolding.
For us, therefore, being sustainable and pursuing ethically profound values has become a form of extreme respect for a place that has remained unchanged in time and space.
We have made choices that are increasingly conscious and more oriented toward a series of modern practices that make us the spokespersons for an important message of change. A change that, in reality, is a real return to the past, when respect for nature and its seasonality, the care of the garden and the reuse of food waste were among the fundamental rules of living well.
The olive tree is emblematic and representative of this philosophy of ours: its strong, centuries-old roots represent that from which we descend and which will always belong to us; its long branches, on the other hand, are projections into the future, evolutions of our souls ready to welcome change.
Ethical Practices
Respecting nature and its rules requires commitment and dedication. Every choice made stems from constant research and study. The evolution of ourselves and of a timeless place like Masseria Francescani requires time, numerous attempts and infinite patience.
Our vegetable garden is tangible proof of this. In fact, the long and delicate process of cultivation of this land, brings with it seasonal products harvested every morning and delivered to the wise hands of Nonna Franceschina, who with her wisdom and practicality, will know how to transform them into the dishes of the Salento tradition.
Using O-mile products, minimizing waste, reusing waste in the kitchen, saving energy by installing solar panels, practicing foraging, and totally disusing plastic are just some of the practical examples of our ethical and sustainable vision.
The fast-paced world outside has made us reflect on how necessary it is instead to slow down, look back and, if necessary, even stop. Oxygenating the mind and recovering old-fashioned customs is the real key to being able to look to the future.
The vegetable garden follows the Fukuoka method
We grow our garden according to the Fukuoka method, known today as "natural farming," devised by Japanese microbiologist and philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka.
We scrupulously follow every rule of it, and specifically: do not plow and prune, do not remove weeds, do not use fertilizers and pesticides. Everything revolves around the philosophy of "don't do," since in the universe processes and changes happen spontaneously.
Nature is capable of self-regulation, and the best way to care for a vegetable garden or orchard is precisely to "let nature do its thing." We have espoused this line of thinking, which, although it leads us to obtain smaller than average fruits and vegetables, at the same time allows us to optimize resources for the sustenance and maintenance of the garden, as well as to derive significantly higher quality and flavor of produce.
Our mission is to recognize ourselves, to feel that we are an integral and functional part of a system based on the naturalness of things, their purity and essentiality. We use the products that nature gives us, qualitatively good without artifice or excessive human intervention.
We have returned to working the land, as our grandparents did. We returned, naturally and proudly, to getting our hands dirty.
