Let’s say you flew to the South of Italy, the heel of the country’s boot shape, to be exact. There, in the region of Puglia, you’d find the charming city of Ostuni, whose old town center is renowned for its white-washed buildings. And down a road lined with the shade of olive trees on the outskirts of Ostuni, you’d find Masseria Moroseta, a refuge for tourists and locals alike, tucked into the foothills of Puglia.
It was only recently that Loro Piana, the Italian purveyors of luxury goods synonymous with craftsmanship and tradition, paid a visit to the Masseria, which means farmhouse in Italian. The brand partnered with the local team there on an exclusive collection of baseball caps designed in typical Loro Piana fashion: with quality in mind.
The six-paneled baseball cap is constructed with a distinct microfibre that’s been treated to become water and wind-resistant. So not only will it look good in all environments, but it will withstand them as well. Loro Piana has fashioned versions available in cashmere drap, Baby Cashmere, vicuña, or velvet cashmere, with a wool and cashmere flannel lining. An extra special cap deserves extra special treatment. Thus, the collaboration with Masseria Moroseta was born.
There’s a spiritual kinship between the luxury brand and Masseria Moroseta. Both represent a distinctly Italian point of view, one that’s tied to place, respectful of tradition, and endlessly stylish. Loro Piana visited the property in the heart of Puglia where the staff at the Masseria and their community of artisans and artists donned the caps on a busy spring day.
At its core, Masseria Moroseta is a white stone farmhouse set in the center of over 50 hectares of olive trees, some of which date back to five hundred years. The property plays host to guest rooms and suites, a restaurant serving locally grown and harvested produce, and, of course, a farm where Puglia’s temperate climate and fertile soil yield top the top-quality olives for which the region is famous.
On a late Spring morning, you’re likely to find the Masseria abuzz with activity. As the days get longer, those who call the property home are up early basking in the extra hours of sun. Giorgia Goggi, who helms the on-site restaurant, starts her day with a stroll through the gardens. Here she makes mental notes of all the plants waiting to be harvested. Most of the seasonal dishes at Moroseta Kitchen stem from these early morning walks: “I can see what is ready to be picked, which aromatics are flowering, I taste and smell everything I find on my path,” she said. “It’s my kind of meditation and that’s how ideas about the menu start flowing.”
Meanwhile, Alessio Manca, who manages the Masseria can be found tending to his bulldogs Beppe and Angelina who also live on site. Next, he’ll chat with a guest or visit Goggi in the kitchen before sitting down to work. “The feeling of being at home is one of the things that most distinguishes our Masseria,” he said. “We love simplicity, it reflects every aspect of our Masseria and lifestyle. It means having a certain way of doing things, taking care of yourself and others, being conscious, respecting and preserving the simplicity and rurality of our environment.”
It’s this commitment to a specific way of life that drew Loro Piana to the Masseria. Not only do they care for their guests, but the staff at the Masseria nurture relationships with nearby artists and artisans, supporting and highlighting local craftsmanship and savoir-faire. Take, for example, Franco Fasano, a ceramic artist who provides most of the ceramic wares used across the property. Fasano, who learned the trade from his grandfather at the age of 13, marries the traditional art of his family’s craft with modern Mediterannean sensibilities. His plates feature designs of faces or fruits, colorful splotches, and geometric designs. Moroseta keeps Fasano’s plates in constant stock. His artistry is in many ways a love letter to the region, just like the Masseria.
Cossimo Terlizzi is an artist who helms Lamia Santolina, a studio for the research of art and land that maintains a close relationship with the Masseria. Terlizzi occupies himself with the cultivation and collection of herbs indigenous to the region of Puglia. He works closely with Goggi to harness the raw benefits of their surrounding environment with an approach that borders on almost no intervention: We decided early on not to plow and let the land bring out its memory made up of wild plants useful for the olive trees themselves, for wildlife and for use in cooking,” he said.
There’s a unique sense of dedication—to land, to history, to elegance—that permeates the space. “Masseria Moroseta is not just a boutique hotel or a modern farmhouse,” Manca notes. “We don't have a timetable that we follow, we are all completely dedicated to the Masseria and everything that surrounds it.” It’s this level of commitment that struck a chord with Loro Piana and drew the brand to Puglia for a visit.
Loro Piana’s core values center on tradition and attention to detail, which when put in concert with the practices at Masseria Moroseta produce perfect harmony. And of course, between the two there’s a shared sense of elegance. Which, as Chef Goggi puts it “is the quality of being pleasingly smart and simple, it’s about having a neat, honest and personal vision.” The Baseball Cap, which has now become a Loro Piana icon, is couched in simplicity–easy design with well-made fabrics that convey an always distinctive point of view.
So as the sun sets on Masseria Moroseta and the olive trees cast long shadows against the sandy floor, guests gather for a dinner al fresco. Italian summer nights are clear and fresh and the sun sits deep and pink in the sky as it slides away.
