Villa Bella

In the heart of Valle d’Itria, among the white stone, the green of olive trees and the intense orange of breathtaking sunsets, rises Villa Bella.

Cisternino, boasts a small, utterly charming old town centre that has remained virtually intact for centuries. Its whitewashed houses, narrow, shady streets, historic churches and elegant central piazza open out onto a series of panoramic viewpoints from which visitors can take in the surrounding countryside, with its rolling hills, dry stone walls and white-tipped conical trulli roofs piercing the green fields.

Cisternino is pleasant to visit at any time of day, though there is something particularly magical on a summer’s evening as the sun sets and the locals come out for their evening passeggiata (stroll). The restaurants, gelaterie and bars around the piazza fill up and the atmosphere becomes gently hedonistic.

You don’t need to go to a restaurant to eat in Cisternino, however, as the town is famous for its barbecuing butchers! All you have to do is choose your meat – maybe the local speciality, bombette, little meat parcels filled with mince, ham and cheese – and take a seat outside with a carafe of local wine. The butcher will then barbecue your chosen goodies and bring them out to you when ready. A truly local (and delicious) eating experience!