40.87°N 17.39°E, Savelletri di Fasano, Puglia
Borgo Egnazia
The Puglian village built from scratch in 2010 between Bari and Brindisi: 63 rooms, 92 houses, 28 villas with pools, two beaches and the starred Due Camini.
Photo: © Borgo Egnazia, official image from the property's website
Borgo Egnazia opened in 2010 to a design by architect Pino Brescia, who built from scratch, in hand-cut tufa and local limestone, a Puglian town with its piazza, lanes, white houses, small windows and porticoes: six years of construction and an investment of 150 million euros, according to the sources cited by Wikipedia, for a simple idea, to give guests a village instead of a hotel. The name comes from the archaeological site of Egnazia, the ancient Gnatia on the Via Traiana, a few kilometres away.
This is not a holiday village imitating Puglia: it is a town built stone by stone to look as if it had always been there, and you sleep inside it.
The property belongs to Aldo Melpignano, who in fifteen years has made it one of the best-known addresses in Italy: in October 2012 Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel rented the whole place for their wedding, and in June 2024 it hosted the G7 summit with heads of state and government, from Joe Biden to Rishi Sunak.
The resort covers about 18 hectares (45 acres) among the olive trees of Savelletri di Fasano, halfway between Bari and Brindisi, with the San Domenico golf course next door and two private beaches on the Adriatic.
Getting there
Savelletri is a seaside hamlet of Fasano, in the province of Brindisi. Bari airport is about 55 kilometres away, three quarters of an hour by car; Brindisi airport 50, half an hour or a little more; Fasano station, on the Bari-Lecce line, five kilometres. The resort arranges transfers, and anyone arriving by private jet uses the same two airports.
La Corte, the Borgo, the Villas
There are three kinds of accommodation, and they are three different ways of being here. La Corte is the hotel proper, with 63 rooms around the courtyards and the main facilities: for anyone who wants breakfast a few steps away and the pool under the window. The Borgo is the 92 houses of the rebuilt town, with their terraces, lanes and the piazza: for anyone who wants to step out of the house and find themselves in a village, with children free to wander. The 28 villas, with private pools and gardens, are the formula for extended families and for total privacy, with the staff coming to the house.
The restaurants and Due Camini
The fine-dining restaurant is Due Camini, one Michelin star since 2019, confirmed in the current guide, with chef Domingo Schingaro: Puglian cooking that puts vegetables at the centre of the plate, worked with local growers and heritage varieties, open for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. Around it are the trattorias and bars of the village, from Puglian home cooking to pizza, and the beach restaurants: in a week's stay you never eat twice in the same place.
Vair Spa, the beaches, the golf
The Vair Spa, 2,800 square metres, reinterprets Roman baths with circuits of hot and cold rooms and a wellness philosophy rooted in Puglian tradition. There are two private beaches, Cala Masciola and La Fonte, on the Adriatic a few minutes from the village, with shuttles and restaurants. San Domenico Golf, next to the resort, is an 18-hole par-72 course between the olive trees and the sea, designed by architect Andy Haggar.
When to go
From May to September this is Puglia's seaside, with July and August full and hot; June and September are the best months for beaches, pools and evenings in the village without the crowds. April, May and October are the season for golf, the masserie and the villages of the Valle d'Itria, with the resort quieter. Alberobello, Ostuni, Polignano, Locorotondo and Monopoli are all under half an hour away.
Who it is for, and who it is not for
It is the right choice for a family or a couple who want a week in Puglia with everything to hand, sea, spa, golf, restaurants and a village to live in at night, without moving; and for anyone who likes large properties with many services. It is not the right choice for anyone looking for a real masseria, with the owners and ten rooms, or contact with everyday Puglian village life: here the village was built on purpose, and you feel it in the perfection of every stone.
Rates and conditions
Rates are on the official website and vary a great deal between low and high season and between the three formulas, from a room in La Corte to a villa with a pool. We do not quote them here because they would change before this page did; worth knowing that the villas, in summer, are booked many months ahead.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between La Corte, the Borgo and the Villas?
La Corte is the hotel with 63 rooms around the main facilities; the Borgo is the 92 houses of the rebuilt village, with lanes and a piazza; the 28 villas have private pools and gardens, with the staff coming to the house.
Does the Due Camini restaurant have a Michelin star?
Yes, one star since 2019, confirmed in the current guide, with chef Domingo Schingaro and vegetable-centred Puglian cooking. It is open for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday.
How do you get to Borgo Egnazia?
From Bari airport, 55 kilometres and about 45 minutes by car; from Brindisi, 50 kilometres and a little over half an hour; Fasano station is five kilometres away.
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