Piccinnu – La Chiantata

As the well-kept secrets about Puglia start to get out, BFB is delighted to offer two smart apartments within one large villa on a working olive oil farm, just a ‘toddlerable’ 20 minutes from Brindisi airport. Abbasciu is the luxurious, larger apartment of the two, on the ground floor, with 4/5 bedrooms; and 2-bedroom Piccinnu is on the first floor, with a fab terrace living room overlooking the garden and olive groves. Both have been beautifully finished in the authentic Puglian style, using antique and handcrafted furnishings but also having a funky and arty vibe, with designer finishing touches. The apartments can be booked separately or both together for up to 15 family and friends plus babies in cots. [July and August only exclusive bookings taken]

The farm has been in the owner, Alessandro’s family for five generations, producing Golden Nectar Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the ancient olive groves that surround the villa. In 2006, Alessandro took over the reigns and with his Swiss wife Alexandra, and two children, they set about making the farm sustainable for the future through cultivating a really child friendly approach to the apartments and the whole experience for families.
From toddlers on ride-ons to kids on go-karts, or even a classic Chopper, children of all ages can free range around the grounds, finding plenty of places to play and work up an appetite for wood fired pizzas and BBQ’s. In the playground, with swings, slide and a roundabout, kids can bounce off energy on a big trampoline or get imaginative in a mud kitchen, while, right by the villa, there’s also table tennis and table football. A shady lawn with a football net is perfect for a kick-about or playing with bats and balls, plus, if anyone’s for tennis, there’s a proper court with a changing room, showers and floodlights for evening matches when it’s cooler. The shady pine garden is especially pleasant for a picnic and, throughout the year, there’s usually something to harvest, including tomatoes, figs, plums, mandarins and oranges. For playing indoors, the apartments include kids DVD’s, books and toys including Playmoibil, drawing kits and a Brio Train, plus an X-Box One in Abbasciu.

One family described their holiday like having all the best bits of a lovely campsite all to themselves (with the bonus of being in an apartment!) and that includes an 11x6m, swimming pool with a separate toddler section only 70cm deep. Inflatables and pool toys are provided as well as a pop-up paddling pool for babies and designer poolside loungers for grown-ups to chill out, soaking up the sun.

Accommodation Overview

Piccinnu is a bright and modern 2-bedroom apartment on the first floor of the villa for a family of 4/5 plus a baby in a cot. A large tiled terrace makes a brilliant al fresco living space overlooking the garden and olive groves, shaded by a bespoke gazebo and featuring a dining table, a Weber BBQ and Bose ‘boom box’ for steaming favourite tunes. Families also have exclusive use of a patio area just at the bottom of the stairs to the apartment, shaded by leafy foliage and wisteria. Indoors, the compact fitted kitchen has all the essential appliances, including a microwave, dishwasher and washing machine plus a Nespresso, Dualit toaster and designer crockery, as well as a funky yellow breakfast table that seats 4, plus a Stokke high chair. The master double bedroom includes a 2-seater sofa and TV with cable channels, while the second bedroom has a very smart and sturdy, architect-designed bunk bed and space for an additional child’s bed or wooden cot. The modern white bathroom has a double walk-in shower, washbasin, WC and bidet, plus luxury touches such as Frette and Orla Kiely towels, hamam towels for the loungers, sports towels for tennis and a soft alpaca blanket to keep baby cosy for evenings under the stars.