Property for Sale in Martina Franca, Puglia
Martina Franca is the largest town in the Valle d’Itria, in the north of the Province of Taranto. Its baroque old town stands on a hill above a countryside of oak woods, vineyards, dry-stone walls and trulli.
The Town and the Valle d’Itria
The historic centre is a maze of white lanes and baroque palazzi, with the Palazzo Ducale and the Basilica of San Martino as its main landmarks. Each summer the town hosts the Festival della Valle d’Itria, an opera festival held in the courtyard of the ducal palace. Martina Franca is also known for its cured meats, especially capocollo, and for its white wine.
Outside the town, the countryside is scattered with trulli and masserie, and the towns of Locorotondo, Cisternino and Alberobello are all nearby.
Property for Sale in Martina Franca
The homes listed are in the countryside of the Valle d’Itria: a five-cone trullo to restore and a ready-to-live-in villa with a trullo for restoration in its grounds. Prices range from under €100,000 for the restoration project to around €500,000 for the villa.
Everyday Life and Getting There
Martina Franca has supermarkets, a hospital, schools and a busy market, so it works well as a year-round base. Rural properties are often a short drive from town along narrow lanes. The town has a station on the Ferrovie del Sud Est network, but a car is essential in the countryside. Brindisi and Bari airports are both within reach, and the beaches of both the Adriatic and Ionian coasts can be reached for day trips.
Buying in Martina Franca
Before restoring a trullo, get an estimate from a builder experienced with dry-stone domes, and confirm with the comune what extensions or new rooms are permitted, since the Valle d’Itria has strict rules for rural building. Find out whether water comes from the mains or a cistern and how waste water is treated.
A local geometra should check that the trullo and any annexes appear correctly on the cadastral maps and have the necessary planning records.