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:: Masseria Montalbano ****

 
 

The masseria Montalbano Vecchio dates back to the XVI century and is one of the most ancient in the neighborhood of Ostuni. An austere stone wall, used to protect the farm from pirate raids and brigandage, as a coffer, keeps a real treasury, a village perfectly kept in each detail: the Lord's house, the cattle
sheds, the stables, the oil mill, the peasants' houses and the church of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary.

The first half of XVII century was the best period for the farm, when it was bought by the family Acquaviva from Aragon, Lords of Conversano, at first Giangirolamo II turned it into a centre of important olive growing production, then the Lord Giulio II Acquaviva from Aragona ordered the works to rebuild the church devoted to the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary, the coat of arm of the family is on the altar.

Over the time the village became very important and well 317 inhabitants lived here. They lived, within the farm, in a wing of low row houses, each of them made of one bedroom and kitchen, all of them the same, arranged in such a way to make two parallel parts divided by a street. Moreover a Chaplain and an administrator lived in the farm, this second took care of the business of the Lord of Conversano and of the armed guards under the Lord.

Now, after rigorous and responsible conservative restructuring, the Masseria Montalbano Vecchio is back to its ancient magnificence renewing the traditional hospitality of peasants, a tradition made of heartiness and simplicity.