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.