Palazzina Alchimia
Palazzina Alchimia is a vacation rental in a Puglian townhouse from the 18th century with one bedroom, tasteful interiors and a beautiful roof terrace with views of the sea.
Trullo Cisternino has always been a nursery of ideas and dreams, a place where everything was made with love.
How would you describe the Trullo Cisternino in a nutshell?
It’s a place to inhabit the poetry of simplicity… to experience a slice of time out of time.
What is the history of Trullo Cisternino, what was your inspiration to create it?
Around 300 hundred years ago, the first stone structures of the house were established, drawing on the spontaneous architecture of the Valle d’Itria, which is today known as trullo. Together with the house, the olive grove was planted at this time. Thus began the diverse tales of many generations of a life connected to nature. We are so proud to be part of this domestic history.
We are Nadiya and Walter, a couple of artists and designers who had a common dream — the dream of a home — and Trullo Cisternino became a physical expression of our dream. We met in 2009 at PastaMadre, a pan-European tripping performance that was conceived by Walter as a new ritual for a planet in crisis. Walter is originally from Puglia and I (Nadiya) am from Ukraine. Eventually, we decided to base ourselves in Cisternino, a place with such a unique landscape and architecture, incredible energy and beautiful people from all over the world.
The main challenge during the restoration process of Trullo Cisternino was to preserve the original charm of the trulli. It’s what we call anima, anemos (wind, breath). We approached the project with respect, always remembering that a trulli house is not only an antique construction but part of a landscape! The harmony and equilibrium between many elements.
Through this exploration of antique and forgotten techniques that were once commonly used in Puglia, we decided to base our studio here to explore and experience art, design and architecture.
How would you describe the atmosphere and the interior design of Trullo Cisternino?
Dreamlike would probably be the best word to describe both the atmosphere and style of the house. It embodies a love for the beauty of simplicity, a caress of archaic and arcane Puglia through the textures and layers of lime and light. At the same time, each new element evokes different feelings and sensations, creating multiple scenarios for everyday living. Natural stone, lime, earthy scents, organic linen, dry plants — every space is an attempt to arouse emotion with simple gestures. It requires an openness to chance, on the edge of reality.
To you personally, what is so special about Trullo Cisternino?
For us, Trullo Cisternino has always been a nursery of ideas and dreams, a place where everything was made with love. And we believe that this feeling and energy can be extended to our guests, with harmony conveyed through lines, colours, textures and senses.
The property is made up of two architectural volumes — Trullo and Lamia. Trullo is a cone-shaped dry stone construction that’s been whitewashed with lime to welcome and reflect light. It requires the long-term ritual of whitewashing using a natural lime-wash that is repeated every season to refresh and purify the indoor and outdoor spaces. The Trullo hosts one bedroom and bathroom with a kitchen and living room.
Lamia is a rustic Puglia house that overlooks Trullo on one side and the swimming pool on another. It features a spacious and shiny kitchen with a dining table, opus signinum countertop and a fireplace. There are two double bedrooms and one bathroom with a big tub, as well as a shower made using the opus signinum technique. There is also a bedroom with twin beds and a loft bed that are reserved for our smallest guests.
There are two buildings:
Main building (80 sqm): 3 bedrooms for up to 6 adults, living room, kitchen, bathroom.
Trullo (40 sqm): 1 bedroom with twin beds and a loft bed (this room is normally dedicated for the children), kitchen and bathroom.
We are positioned between the Adriatic and Ionian seas, which makes for a varied holiday as you can visit lots of different places in a very short time.
All of the tiny whitewashed towns nearby are jewels of the Valle d’Itria and it’s difficult to choose just one of them as each has something really unique. There are so many beautiful places to enjoy and tiny events to participate in.
If you want to go to the seaside, the natural park of Torre Guaceto is magnificent. We particularly love the wild beachfront areas where you can have a pure nature experience. The area of Torre Pozzelle is also marvellous.
On request, we are happy to organise tailor-made events for our guests, such as experimental dinners in the countryside or by the sea, live concerts at the property, floral or art workshops.
We are also happy to welcome our guests at the annual micro-festival, which is the brainchild of our studio and partners and takes place in Cisternino: Disimpegno. Appunti Intorno All’Abitare .
The property is situated three kilometres from the medieval town of Cisternino and partway between Ostuni, Martina Franca, Ceglie Messapica and Locorotondo. You need around 15 minutes by car to get to any of these unique towns while the closest beach is around 15 kilometres from the house.
A narrow road framed by dry stone walls, oak trees, olive groves, fields and woodlands brings you to the house. Every once in a while, you’ll see the illuminated white of the lime-washed walls between the silver-green of the olive trees. The landscape is so unique that it transports you to the past. It’s like bringing magic to life. There’s a beautiful equilibrium between nature, architecture and people that makes this area very unique while at the same time full of joy and tranquility.
We feel that the period from May until November is the best time to visit Puglia. In May and October, you can enjoy the pure nature and experience the authentic, slow lifestyle of the local towns. It is a nice period for those who like comfortably warm weather to enjoy walks and rides in the countryside and by the sea.
June offers the most special sea conditions while July and August are the hottest months and bring out all the incredible beauty of Mediterranean living. September is just magnificent and November is the olive harvest — an unforgettable experience!
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