Preserving local heritage in Puglia: Restoration and rehabilitation of masseria Aia Nuova

The masseria has oftentimes taken center stage throughout Apulia’s history, being essential for the management, growth and protection of its land and population, and hosting various activities deemed vital for agriculture, trade and craftsmanship. Not only was the masseria a hub for farmers and workers, but it was also a place where people gathered to celebrate a good harvest, it was a place of congregation and socialization, and above all a place where the landlord and the farmer, the nobility and the working class, coexisted in tandem with the concerted goal of making a living and managing the vast arable lands dispersed throughout the Apulian plain. Today, an increasing shift towards the city and the loss of interest in farming and manual labor means that more and more Masserie are found abandoned or re-purposed for outright different needs, such as to cater for the ever growing hospitality sector and with it the flock of tourists visiting during the sunny months of the year. A different approach, one that encourages the conservation and preservation of the Masseria under its original purpose, not only ensures the protection of this important heritage, but also restores the link between the land and its inhabitants once more.