Villa Elia - fabulous masseria with pool near Gallipoli, Puglia

The interior of Villa Elia is unique, rambling and a challenge to communicate in "technical" terms. So here goes:

Inside: the imprssive monumental arch over the main entrance leads directly to a huge, vaulted living area which continues right through the house to the garden. Also on the ground floor are two large double bedrooms (one with a mezzanine level, and an en-suite bathroom with a shower and sunken bath, the other with a fireplace and a bathroom off the living area), a second living room, a huge country kitchen with open fire, a cinema room with DVD player, projector and Nintendo Wii console, a billiards table in the restored chapel, and a Turkish bath with relaxation room.

The original stone staircase, worn considerably by hundreds and thousands of footsteps over the centuries, leads first to a single room with bathroom across the staircase, then up to the "dormitory" style quad room, with ensuite bathroom and large, panoramic terrace. On the same level as the quad, there is a large apartment with three double bedrooms, each with en-suite bathrooms, a kitchenette (for preparing tea and coffee or breakfast) and a central living area. Finally, the stairs narrow and take you to a small double room with en-suite bathroom and, further still, to the large roof terrace with panoramic 360 degree views of the surrounding countryside.

Furnishings throughout are eclectic, stylish and exotic. Furniture from Brown's Hotel London rubs shoulders with wooden sculptures from the Gambia, Dogon masks, Jordanian carpets from the Queen Rania Foundation and much more besides, making it a colourful United Nations of artefacts.

Outside: the large garden is completely surrounded by its ancient stone walls and features a dining area outside the kitchen, several shady areas for relaxing, lush lawns, an orchard with fig, orange and apples trees and a wide variety of plants, including a superb selection of aromatic herbs for the kitchen. The pool, situated just beyond the original well, has a fully equipped pool house with showers. The pool furniture is of a particularly high standard and there is a shady pergola area just beside the pool providing a welcome respite when the sun is at its zenith.