Italy is a land of all of our senses: the scent and colours of hillsides, food and wine; the sight & site of history, the sound of music and the taste of food, wine and culture. They all fire imaginations while making events memorable.
But do you know this land of magic: An “under” explored region!!!!
Discover a landscape that drips with history from the Roman times onwards along with an extraordinary array of Baroque architecture. Here you will find hundreds of miles of breath taking Adriatic coastline.
You can lunch in a town built of caves or enjoy dinner in a charming cobbled white village on a hilltop. And, while sitting on that hilltop you can gaze out over the region’s magical red earth. A red earth dotted with olive trees, vineyards, fruits and vegetables like no other produced in all of Italy.
Many people are not aware that this region now produces most of Europe’s pasta, presses most of the finest olive oil, catches most of Italy’s fish and makes enough wine to rank as the sixth-largest winemaker in the world.
Many of you are well travelled and presumably know the Italian landscape very well. But can you guess this region!!!!
Be it for leisure or business you might have been to Rome, Venice, Florence, the Amalfi coast and all those destinations that are considered “windows” of Italy; they are certainly worth seeing, one time at least. But for something different…..
Let Welcome Italy take you for a tour around the “Back of House” where Back of House stands for a “walk” through areas and regions that are off the beaten path. Places that are unknown to a mass audience; a place new to many in the MICE market. A place that we would like to you to discover and learn about.
From north to south, from east to west there are a wealth of villages, cities and regions that are not necessarily second to the other more famous areas. On the contrary, in some cases locations in this region are surprisingly more stunning – for the landscape – for the culture and hidden arts…..and for the gastronomy.
So next time you happen to be brainstorming with your clients, may be on a golf course, remember this article and request a proposal.
Next time you consider Italy for a VIP group, look at extending your flight to Bari in Apulia (Puglia) and let Welcome give you a special welcome in Dino Barile’s home region.
Puglia is Italy’s gateway to Greece and the Middle East and awash with their influences in its many whitewashed buildings – a Greek look distinct from the ochres and umbers found elsewhere in Italy; as well as in Byzantine frescoes and 12th-century mosaics of myths and historical figures in Otranto’s churches
Although Apulia is down in the heel of Italy there is nothing “down at the heels” with hotel choices. Hotel capacities are limited in terms of size, maximum groups of 120 but… oh boy! the quality is just exceptional!
For example the south of Italy and particularly the countryside was, and still is, dotted with “Masserie”.
A Masseria is basically a fortified farmhouse generally built around the 17th century. They are commonly found in Puglia and most of the south of Italy. The Masseria are closely connected to the concept of the Latifondo. A Latifondo (latifundium in English) is a vast agricultural estate usually given over to pasture.
In the recent times very many Masserie have been transformed, with taste and care, to create a brand new concept of hotel and accommodation. The choice is very rich and so varied that there is a Masseria to cover all tastes and budgets.
One pioneer of this sort of hotel is a high end property offering boutique-style intimacy bound with first class facilities such as a magnificent outdoor free-form swimming pool, a state-of-the-art Thalassotherapy Spa, a lovely beach, two tennis courts, a modern gym and a challenging 18-hole golf course.
Another creation nestles within the olive groves of the Apulian region and is just a few hundred metres from the coastline. This Puglia hotel takes its place among the Mediterranean’s leading luxury resorts. The layout is unlike any other: in addition to the main hotel, a separate village offers one- and two-bedroom townhouses surrounding a central piazza.
Dino and his team will happily provide hotel choices to match your brief along, of course, with entertaining and imaginative programmes. There is so much to across the land, beaches and sea.
There is so much that this little known and unexplored region has to offer that you will truly enjoy your visit. First and foremost are its people, who will welcome you with open arms and gracious hospitality. Everywhere you may be travelling to, you will be received with warm smiles and a deep appreciation for visiting their towns and villages.
And when it comes to eating and drinking, we can comfortably say that the food, bread and wine here is just exceptional. The bread of Altamura, for example, is the one bread in the world that enjoys the DOP (a certified quality and origin).
Travelling through the region you will come to visit places like Alberobello known the world over for its trullis, Ostuni the “white town”, Locorotondo one of the most beautiful towns in Italy, famous as well for it wine that holds the same name. Martina Franca, a graceful eighteenth-century town with lovely wrought iron balconies and sculpted portals.
And….. if you travel a little further afield in the region nearby Basilicata you will come to visit Matera. A UNESCO world heritage site famous for its troglodyte’s houses. The area was used as a natural setting for many historical movies from “King David” to “The Passion”.
On a much simpler note – next time you think of a top achiever programme, a pre & post event, or an actual incentive trip, remember Dino’s region and think of Welcome Italy.
