As anyone who has ever planned a family vacation knows, booking a home that satisfies all of your party’s needs is a true art. By the time my parents, brother, and I embarked upon six days in Puglia in September, I had spent hours searching for a home that checked all the boxes. The nonnegotiables: My dad was set on staying in a trullo (the historic, conical stone homes native to the Itria Valley), my mother wanted laundry, and we all wanted a pool. And for me, a former design editor, aesthetics were always critical.
These criteria triangulated to find us at Trullo Giulio, 15 minutes outside of Martina Franca. Our host coordinated with her neighbor, Anna, to meet us at the property after the 90-minute drive from Bari. We could hear Anna’s tiny red farm truck puttering down the road to greet us, which should give you an image of just how rural this part of the region is—nothing but olive trees as far as the eye can see. Between my father’s three years of Italian lessons and some universal sign language, we got the lay of the land, which consisted of the main trullo (two beds, one bath) and two outbuildings that hosted two additional bedrooms, a bathroom, and the kitchen.
The decor was almost Santorinian in its whitewashed and blue-accented simplicity. The owners had taken great care to decorate the trullo with local textiles and pottery (I highly recommend a day trip to Grottaglie, the ceramic destination of the region) and features that allowed the original stone walls and vaulted ceilings to breathe. It’s modernized, but still retains its charm. And yes, there were a few quirks. The bedrooms in the main trullo were curtained off from the living room—don’t worry, the bathroom had a door—and the advertised AC units were only in the outbuildings. The Wi-Fi and cell service were pretty much nonexistent, which all but highlighted the fact that the true heart of the home was really the outdoor space.
The first thing we did after our tour with Anna was take in the pool. As the sun was setting, we dunked our tired feet in the water while sipping the local rosé and snacks Anna had left for us. Saltwater, with a whirlpool and an infinity edge that lets you gaze straight into the olive groves—it’s the showstopper of the property hands down. There’s also an outdoor shower for a quick rinse and multiple lounging spaces both in and out of the sun. We spent the majority of our time—when we weren’t on the pool deck—at the massive dining table under a shaded pergola.
The outdoor dining table
Rachel Fletcher
A quick bite to eat featuring pizza and cheese
Rachel FletcherWhile we easily could have spent all of our days lounging poolside, the location of the trullo also made it a convenient launchpad for exploring the region. Aside from the much-slept-on town of Martina Franca, it's within an hour's drive of Alberobello, Ostuni, Polignano a Mare, and the many smaller beach towns along the coast—don’t miss the restaurant Ricciolandia if you’re a fan of urchin. Within a five-minute drive of the house is a delightfully well-stocked mini market and local fave Sale e Pepe, where we had more than one night of phenomenal pizza and grilled meats.
My favorite meal in Puglia, however, was one of (mostly) our own making. The final nonnegotiable we’d all agreed upon was that we had to take a pasta-making class before leaving Italy, which we also found on Airbnb. We joined Cristiana and her mother at their beachside trullo in Cozze for a sunny afternoon spent in the outdoor kitchen, where the humbling experience of making orecchiette by hand was enhanced by homemade limoncello and sparkling conversation.
No number of ancient churches, fun beach spots, or magical little towns could outweigh the best part of a family trip: The moments spent around the table. Trullo Giulio was the home base we needed to make those moments happen.