Homes in Puglia

One of the great delights of Italy is the remarkable diversity of its 20 official regions. Depending on where you are in this boot-shaped nation, the cuisine, traditions, dialect and architecture are all rather different. Puglia stands out more than most, perhaps, when it comes to being distinctive. The land, light, buildings, food and local culture of this region are often completely unique. It’s a bit of Italy like no other.

There’s Puglia’s special status on the map, for a start. It’s the high heel of the Italian boot – a privileged and glamorous position. Being a long, thin peninsula, Puglia is blessed with the longest coastline of any Italian mainland region. In its southern half, the sea meets Puglia from both sides and the sky is always lit by bright, cheery sea-light. This bounces off the region’s curiously-shaped, whitewashed buildings and leaves you so dazzled and sun-drunk you begin to suspect you might be on an exotic Greek island.

That Greek feeling is no accident. Greece is only 50 miles or so across the sea. Ancient Greeks colonised Puglia around two and a half thousand years ago and there’s still a legacy of these ancient people’s architectural style, language, cuisine and culture. Some say there’s even something a little Greek in the personality of