{"id":3169,"date":"2014-06-29T12:04:28","date_gmt":"2014-06-29T10:04:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rickzullo.com\/?p=3169"},"modified":"2020-02-12T15:58:37","modified_gmt":"2020-02-12T14:58:37","slug":"what-is-a-masseria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/what-is-a-masseria\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Masseria?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"biglietto_masseria\"\u201cWhere are we staying again?\u201d I asked my wife, as we drove through a remote area of southeastern Sicily last month while on my blog tour.\u00a0 We were bumping down a dusty path, abandoned by reliable road signs long ago, hopelessly consulting a map that resembled someone\u2019s failed attempt at origami.\u00a0 Before leaving on this epic journey at the end of April, I had handled most of the communications with the hotels, B&Bs, and agriturismi.\u00a0 This one, however, she had taken care of without my intervention.\u00a0 I was starting to question that decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s called a \u2018masseria,\u2019\u201d she replied, as if it were the most obvious thing, like a Howard Johnsons or Days Inn.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK then, what is a masseria, exactly?\u201d<\/p>\n

She paused, then started to answer, using random hand gestures to aide in her description, \u201cUh, well, you know, it\u2019s one of those\u2026places. \u00a0Like\u2026like\u2026a masseria!\u201d<\/p>\n

I could see I wasn\u2019t going to get far with this.\u00a0 In fact, as it turns out, it\u2019s one of those words that doesn\u2019t have a perfect English translation.\u00a0 When I looked it up with Google translate, it simply said, \u201cfarmhouse.\u201d\u00a0 But that\u2019s not entirely accurate.\u00a0 For an accurate definition, I had to consult Italian websites.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Originally, these \u201cfarms,\u201d were actually closer to what we might call a \u201cplantation\u201d in the Southern U.S.\u00a0 They were a product of the Spanish colonization in the 14th<\/sup> and 15th<\/sup> centuries, when large swaths of uncultivated land in Southern Italy were given to wealthy barons who ran these agro-businesses\u2014raising animals and growing wheat\u2014while also living on the premises themselves.\u00a0 For this reason, a masseria is large and rustic, but also a bit elegant to satisfy the refined tastes of Spanish noblemen.<\/p>\n

\"what<\/a><\/p>\n

These features make them ideal raw material for present day accommodations.\u00a0 You get the feel of a farm, with the comfort and luxury of a country estate.\u00a0 It\u2019s also been a great way to preserve these historic structures, and thereby preserving this period of history in Southern Italy.\u00a0 We could even compare the masserie<\/em> to the paradors<\/em> in Spain, or even the Relais & Ch\u00e2teauxs<\/em> in France.\u00a0 (The key difference, however, is that unlike their Spanish and French counterparts, the masserias in Italy are not managed by the State; they are all private enterprises\u2014which is a good thing, in my opinion.)<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a><\/p>\n

The place that we stayed at was Masseria Cianci\u00f2<\/a>, somewhere between Ispica and Pozzallo.\u00a0 Don\u2019t ask me where, exactly, because like many of the wonderful, unique spots we found along our route, it\u2019s not easy to locate on a map.\u00a0 Even the GPS on my iPhone was confounded by the challenge.\u00a0 Technically it\u2019s in the village of Graffetta, but I never caught sight of a village while staying there.\u00a0 And that\u2019s part of the charm: you\u2019re out in the open, clean air, lots of relaxing peace and quiet, and slow time to enjoy the atmosphere.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not to say that there isn\u2019t anything to do on the property.\u00a0 They give cooking lessons, have a nice little library in the main house, and there\u2019s a beautiful swimming pool to cool off from the hot Sicilian sun.\u00a0 In the summer months, the pool area also becomes a venue for evening BBQs, parties, and musical events.<\/p>\n

\"relaxing<\/a><\/p>\n

However, Masseria Cianci\u00f2<\/a> is also well situated in this little Baroque corner of Sicily, and visiting Modica, Scicli, and Ragusa are only a short drive a way.\u00a0 Pozzallo also has a harbor, and there are regular ferries to Malta from there, which would be a great day trip.\u00a0 I wish we would have had time for that, but unfortunately we didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

This was obviously my first time to a masseria, so I have nothing to compare it to.\u00a0 But compared to other options in Sicily, I would say that this would be hard to beat, especially in terms of authenticity.\u00a0 Certainly it was much nicer than the \u201cresort\u201d we stayed at in Agrigento. \u00a0Our hostess, Signora Gina Ricca, decorated the property herself; rustic but elegant, staying faithful to the original style. \u00a0She obviously takes a lot of pride in her masseria, and goes out of her way to make her guests feel like, well, guests, and not just customers.\u00a0 This is something that we found throughout Italy\u2026.local business owners who genuinely want to connect with travelers, and help them appreciate their version of an authentic Italian lifestyle.<\/p>\n

Live Like a Sicilian<\/h2>\n

When staying in Palermo for a couple days, for example, I would suggest staying in or very near the city center.\u00a0 There\u2019s plenty to see within walking distance, and it\u2019s just easier to manage given the traffic, etc.\u00a0 But in other parts of Sicily, I recommend being a little bolder and venturing out of the towns and into the countryside. \u00a0Here you\u2019ll glimpse back in time at the history of Sicily\u2014while still enjoying modern comforts.<\/p>\n

\"breakfast<\/a>
Breakfast at Masseria Ciancio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When visiting such areas, my advice is to take your cues from the Sicilians and plan your day like this:<\/p>\n

Wake up in the morning (not too early), and have a nice, light breakfast.\u00a0 At Masseria Cianci\u00f2<\/a>, everything is homemade and fresh, and very tempting.\u00a0 Enjoy, but resist eating too much at this hour, as it will only weigh you down for the rest of the day.<\/p>\n

Take a short drive into town and stroll through the historic center (we went into Ispica one day).\u00a0 Check out the Baroque Churches and the local sites\/monuments at a leisurely pace. Stop for another coffee mid-morning.\u00a0 Then around 12:30, start peeking into the doorways of local restaurants and have a good, deep sniff.\u00a0\u00a0 Let your nose decide, make a mental note, and then continue your passeggiata<\/em> for a while.<\/p>\n

\"Ispica<\/a><\/p>\n

Return to your restaurant of choice around 1:30, then sit back and let the proprietor take care of you.\u00a0 Appreciate the fact that you\u2019re undoubtedly in one of the best (if not THE best) places on the entire planet for delicious, healthy food.\u00a0 Order a bottle of the local wine, and make a deliberate effort to eat and drink as slowly as possible.\u00a0 Don\u2019t forget dessert.\u00a0 This is the birthplace of cannoli<\/em>, after all.\u00a0 To skip this treat while in Sicily would be an unforgivable sin.<\/p>\n

Now it\u2019s the heat of the day, so go back to the masseria.\u00a0 If you\u2019re a bit sleepy, take a nap\u2014it\u2019s OK, you\u2019re on vacation, right?\u00a0 Open the window and let the breeze come in.\u00a0 If you\u2019re not sleepy, grab a book and head to the pool.\u00a0 In any case, rest and let your lunch digest.\u00a0 Now you\u2019re really channeling your inner Sicilian.\u00a0 Lunch is important.\u00a0 Rest is important.\u00a0 Fresh air is important.\u00a0 These things make us feel good and keep us healthy.\u00a0 Appreciate them.\u00a0 (By the way, television is NOT important, and they don\u2019t have them in the rooms at Masseria Cianci\u00f2<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Travelling in Italy<\/h2>\n

Listen, I\u2019m one who has to constantly remind myself of my own advice.\u00a0 Slow down and enjoy the pace of life in Italy, especially in the South.\u00a0 When strolling with my wife and baby, I always walk too fast, three or four steps ahead of them.\u00a0 When I visit a town for the first time, something inside of me is determined to see everything on the proverbial checklist on the first day.\u00a0 This is absolutely the wrong way to experience Italy.<\/p>\n

\"accommodations<\/a>
My travel blogger’s “office” while staying at Masseria Ciancio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019m getting better, and one of the things that I learned on this trip is that it matters where you stay.\u00a0 In the past, my tendency was to choose a big hotel in the very center of the city so that everything that I \u201cneeded\u201d to see was close.\u00a0 This might even still be the best option in a big city like Rome or Palermo\u2014IF you\u2019re only in town for 2-3 days.\u00a0 But even in these busier locations, I would still argue that you need to slow down.\u00a0 When you\u2019re ready, the masserie<\/em> await.\u00a0 So what is a masseria exactly?\u00a0 It\u2019s where all the best of Sicily comes together in one relaxing place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cWhere are we staying again?\u201d I asked my wife, as we drove through a remote area of southeastern Sicily last month while on my blog tour.\u00a0 We were bumping down a dusty path, abandoned by reliable road signs long ago, hopelessly consulting a map that resembled someone\u2019s failed attempt at origami.\u00a0 Before leaving on this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3179,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[95,211,42,94],"tags":[384,250,381,25],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3169"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3169"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3169\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}