Agriturismo Lodging

Staying on an agriturismo, a farm estate renovated for tourists, can be a highlight of your visit to Italy. Farm lodging ranges from rustic to luxurious and will usually be either a room with bed and breakfast or a self-catering apartment.

My Recommended Agriturismo and Masseria Lodging:

These are places I’ve stayed and would recommend personally. They are all nicely renovated and have great owners.

Tuscany Agriturismo:

• Poggio Etrusco is an organic farm owned by cookbook author Pamela Sheldon Johns and her husband, Johnny Johns, near Montepulciano . Guests have a choice of 3 beautifully renovated apartments or a double room. Breakfast is included and there’s a garden and swimming pool. The farm produces organic olive oil and guests can assist with harvesting olives in late fall. Pamela teaches cooking classes so you can learn to make fresh pasta and typical Tuscan dishes.
• Montestigliano, 12 kilometers from Siena, has self-catering apartments, houses, and villas of various sizes, accommodating from 2 people to 14 people. The farm produces olive oil and is immersed in a wooded area with walking paths. Charming small towns and wineries are nearby. Read more about our visit to Montestigliano.

Umbria Agriturismo:

• Il Fontanaro has nicely renovated self-catering cottages and villas, some right on the farm and some nearby, in walking distance of the small town of Paciano, a medieval town with a store, bar, and restaurants. The farm produces award-winning organic olive oil, wine and their own produce, some of which guests can use. Fontanaro is near the border of Tuscany so it’s easy to visit places both in Umbria and eastern Tuscany.

Puglia Masseria:

• Posta Santa Croce, 10 minutes from the coast and the town of Trani, has 4 nicely renovated self-catering apartments, a garden, and a large common room with fireplace and kitchen where you can learn to make orecchiette, the traditional pasta. The farm produces olive oil and guests can pick vegetables and fruits from the garden. Breakfast is included and there was enough food in the apartment for the first night’s dinner.
• Masseria Marzalossa, classified as a charming hotel, was the first farm house in Puglia to receive a permit to provide lodging. Each room is unique and are in the buildings that once housed workers during the olive harvest. There are gardens with flowers and orange and lemon trees, a swimming pool, restaurant, and a rooftop terrace.

See more unique places to stay in Puglia

Things to Know about Staying at an Agriturismo

Accommodations are on working farms often producing olive oil, wine, or produce in country settings but usually within a few kilometers of a small town. You’ll usually want or need a car to access them since they’re in the countryside but near villages or small towns you’ll probably want to visit.

Some agriturismi (plural of agriturismo) will allow the guests to participate in activities such as picking vegetables, making cheeses, or harvesting olives. Some also provide optional meals or have a restaurant using food produced on the farm or have cooking classes based on local ingredients. They are usually a great place to sample local foods. Often the hosts interact with guests and suggest activities and places to go in the area.

The word agriturismo is made from the words for agriculture and tourism in Italian. Other words used for farm estates are masseria, tenuta, or fattoria.

Disclaimer: As is common in the travel industry, we were provided with free lodging, however that has not influenced this article.

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