Contemporary Masseria by Massimo Iosa Ghini – Photos by Cosmo Laera, courtesy of Massimo Iosa Ghini.

Architecture. Inspired by the fortified farmhouses that once dotted this stretch of coastline, Massimo Iosa Ghini of Iosa Ghini Associati has designed a family home and countryside retreat in Salento, on Italy’s heel. This contemporary masseria pairs bespoke interiors with pergolas and patios set among ancient olive trees and pines.

The single-storey layout settles gently into the Mediterranean landscape, a few kilometres from the sea, working around the existing vegetation rather than against it. Near the main living room, a structure in acid-treated wood does double duty as pergola and support for the tree branches threading through it.

Historically, masserias were fortified stone farmhouses, built between the 16th and 19th centuries to withstand attack while anchoring rural life across the region. This contemporary masseria borrows that spirit of resilience and reworks it for present-day living.

“We adopted techniques and materials suggested by local artisans and builders,” says Iosa Ghini. The result draws on Chianca stone for the outdoor paving, generous panels of porcelain stoneware indoors, and dry-stone construction methods throughout.

A generous living area flows into the dining-kitchen zone, forming the heart of family life. Four bedrooms, each with its own vestibule and bathroom, surround this shared core.

“Large glass panels facing the external area are designed as a natural continuation of the protected space, paved and designed as a place of relations with crafted sofas and armchairs, underlining the constant relationship between outdoor and indoor spaces.”

Set apart from the main house, a converted rudere houses a pajara turned guesthouse, complete with its own outdoor area for unwinding. This second structure reinforces the sense that the contemporary masseria is less a single building than a small, considered settlement.

A hammock for lazy afternoons, tailor-made chairs and crafted tables sit alongside a handful of Iosa Ghini design pieces, chosen sparingly to furnish the interiors. The effect is one of deliberate restraint, leaving daylight and the surrounding landscape as the true protagonists of the domestic setting.

Planimetria Salve – Courtesy of Massimo Iosa Ghini.