Le Murge is a sub-region of southern Italy, the most part of which lies within the central part of Puglia, and corresponds to the Altopiano delle Murge (Italian for “plateau of the Murge”). Within Le Murge we find La Valle d’Itria: a vast area wish goes until Bari city and includes the comune of Martina Franca, Ceglie Messapica which is my hometown, Cisternino, Locorotondo and Alberobello.
These are some technical notes, but the Valle d’Itria is my land, the Valle d’Itria is my home: with my eyes open or closed I can see it, I can smell its scent, I can see the colors of the dry-stone walls, the colors of the trulli (traditional Apulian house) and of the masseria (manor farm).
My home is not in a manor farm, but it’s in the countryside: together with my parents and my two brothers.
My second home is a manor farm, the Masseria Castelluccio: a huge 150 hectares expanse of olive trees, where I grew up and spent all my Sundays and holidays. When in summer, this land is very dry, hot, but also very rich: it’s rich in fragrances and strong emotions, which learnt me everything I know now.
The Valle d’Itria is this immense extension of olive trees.
There’s a stretch of road that I love to do every time I come back to Puglia, where I can finally say “Okay, I’m home!”. It’s the road connecting Ostuni and the seaside, Torre Pozzelle, Lamaforca, which is our best sea, the most intact because there are less buildings and it’s characterized by both sand and cliff. A limitless extension of olive trees that runs from Ostuni until the sea.
Only there I can feel myself at home, only by those fragrances. This endless green color of the olive trees interrupted by the gray and brown colors of the dry-stone walls of the trulli and manor farms. This is the most beautiful stretch of road where every time I say: “I’m home!”
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