This has been the renovation of the Castello di Ugento in Italy.
The Castello di Ugento is one of the most impressive castles in Apulia-Salento , one of the most magnetizing regions of **southern Italy** with the sea Adriatic Y Ionian as escorts. Perfect for those who want to combine a tourist trip with something quieter and more secluded.
In Ugento is where this is millennial jewel, renovated and open to the public this spring . Situated on top of a hill, the Castle of Ugento has dominated and protected the land and the people that lay in its shadow, for more than ten centuries.
It was built on the remains of Messapia, in Salento , and probably rebuilt during the Roman age . Its circular tower dates from the normans , who controlled the region in 1059. What makes it even more interesting is that it has been destroyed and rebuilt by different cultures due to wars; until it came into the hands of the d'Amore family , merchants and nobles , who are still their owners.
Facade of the Castello di Ugento.
The renovation, underway since 2013, has ended with a surprising result although without losing the essence of a castle of nobility thanks to Diana E.Bianchi and Massino d'Amore. In fact, it's a boutique hotel with museum because they have so many details that it is impossible for them to go unnoticed by history lovers.
Here you can enjoy 900 pieces of italian art , in addition to permanent exhibitions.
THE CASTLE OF LOVE
The family and the marquis bought Castle of Ugento in 1643 as an investment. At the time, it was a highly prized peninsula over which different civilizations had fought for centuries.
So the marquis d'amore decided to invest his fortune by acquiring several fiefdoms in the Kingdom of Naples , in order to ensure the long-term prosperity of his family and his descendants. The Castle of Ugento it is still owned by the family 370 years later.
Although modernized for its restoration (valued at 10 million euros), it remains faithful to the ostentatious era and salento baroque , which can be admired in the restored frescoes to the detail of the seventeenth century. The coat of arms of the d'Amore family which symbolizes the Family junction with the pelican, drawn as a swan, feeding her chicks.
The castle has been converted into a boutique hotel.
THE CENTENARY POMEGRANATE GARDEN
No doubt the crown jewel are his gardens, The Walled Kitchen Garden, a oasis under the castle walls, with a lemon orchard , orange trees, almond trees, apricots... and even two pomegranates with 200 years old , we call Nonni del Giardino.
An orchard that also serves for the Il Tempo Nuovo restaurant, run by the chef Odette Fairy , one of the best international Italian chefs, who has reinvented the traditional dishes of the 21st century Puglia.
The castle garden.
The Castle of Ugento also houses the Puglia Culinary Center, directed by the same chef in association with the prestigious Culinary Institute of America , his only collaboration outside the US and Singapore.
the Walled Kitchen Garden is ultimately a quiet haven where guests can stroll and relax, cooking students can choose from the 100 aromatic herbs they need for their classes and the restaurant chefs can guarantee the quality from field to plate.
Shall we walk through their gardens?