Our story

Our love for Italy has existed for many years. Every holiday was spent exploring a new part of Italy. For the first two years, we spent our annual holidays visiting the north of Italy, the lakes, Tuscany, Umbria, and the Venetian coast. We were always very enthusiastic. The desire also grew to visit the South. We heard several times that Puglia was still relatively unspoiled, less touristy and, above all, still pure.

We then decided to take the plunge and spend our next holidays in Southern Italy. We always preferred houses or villas, so we could explore the South at our own pace. This also allowed us to visit local markets to buy pure ingredients and prepare them ourselves in the available kitchens. There's nothing quite like the conviviality of cooking together, especially during the quieter weeks of the year.

In 2018, we returned to the South, this time to Ostuni, better known as the touristy 'White City' that you can see from afar. Again, we opted for a villa with its own swimming pool. Not having to answer to anyone, no pillow fights at 6 a.m., enjoying cooking ourselves, or going to a restaurant – anything is possible. Upon our arrival, we drove past a rather old gateway with a sign that read 'Vendesi'. You couldn't see anything except a very long driveway surrounded by olive trees. But it was on this long driveway that we fell in love. After 2 appointments and 1 bid, all within a week, the time had come. We would return to Belgium only to fly back to Ostuni less than a month later for our appointment with the notary. On September 12th, the moment arrived, the signature was placed, and the keys were handed over. Immediately that same weekend, we arranged a meeting with an interior designer. Together with her, we visited our Casolare, and she would get to work and brainstorm.

In November, we flew back to Ostuni. The interior designer presented us with the various options. A month later, in December, we received our different quotes and decided which one to go with. We chose a contractor who specialized in stonework. The old part of the house was built with authentic, typical stones, and we wanted to preserve these and even make them the eye-catcher of the house.

No sooner said than done, the works started in January. It was all very exciting, of course, but we were very fortunate to have top teams carrying out and monitoring the work. In 6 months, the house was stripped, renovated, rebuilt, decorated, and furnished. By July 2019, we were already there for our first vacation. In September 2019, the excavation of our swimming pool began. These works also progressed smoothly, with a few more appointments with, among others, garden contractors and the builders. The garden, swimming pool, and other areas around the house were also perfectly transformed into a beautiful, romantic oasis of peace.

We are fully ready to start renting out our villa in May 2020, where we, in turn, will make every effort to make your holiday unforgettable.