The relationship between the designer and the clusters of the territory is often very strong and it goes deep into the skin. The act of living an ambient is one of the most intimate of the human personality and for this reason that lots of designer become emphatic with the project and the surrounding.

Knowing Gian Paolo Guerra, you can understand how the connection between space and living could be itself the base for the project. His wide experience express the maximum emotion in his work in Puglia.

• How much are you “involved” and “captured” by the tradition of “the masserie”?
  

  I have a special relationship with Puglia from 15 years, where casually I came in for holiday before with friends and then with my family. It was love at first sight, and the region has grown so much during last years, in particular we saw a big expansion of the tourism. Along the years I visited the Sicily and the Provence, but once arrived in Puglia I choose it as my “good retire” and I’m not talking only about Salento, but also Ostumi and Valle d’Itria. I think it is a clever marketing operation: Puglia’s administrators opted for tradition and good, not only of products or food, but also on their origins. It is been transformed in a luxurios atmosphere what was symbol of rural work, underlining the beauty of the old “masserie” (the traditional rural houses and farms) all over the land.

  In my fancies I like this kind of hospitality, informal but elegant, with a particular care of the client, with simple, but important details… by the way, elegance is simplicity as Puglia is beauty: many of this “masserie”, are well refurbished and, like the “bagli” of Trapani or the Spanish “fincas”, now are luxurious hotels well known worldwide.
  

  I spent lot of time here, discovering these “masserie”, very often rural companies and not only hotels: in this way I discovered “Torre Giulia”, formerly owned by the Counts Pavoncelli, and now transformed by a family of entrepreneurs of Foggia. I was contacted for the restyling of “Sala Giulia” and the for the project of the “Sala Due Querce” with “Giardino d’Inverno”.

• What are the most important aspects of this project?

  This ancient barn, owned by Pavoncelli Counts during the second half of the XIX century, now is a premium winehouse (well known for the “Bianco di Lusso – Luxurious White”, today no more in production). During the Second World War was a base for the USAF, and it is strange to think it considering that now is a well awarded meeting room. The Tenuta Torre Giulia in Cerignola is surrounded by a 15 ha park in the country of Valle dell’Ofanto, in the middle of the Tavoliere delle Puglie.
  The restyling of the Sala Giulia, characterized by old wooden trusses lignee, was refurbished at an architectonic level: in the living room it has been used stone came from Trani for flooring and furniture all played in shades of white and dove gray with some ceramics came from Grottaglie: a play of spaces for conversation that introduces the meeting room. Here we can see the use of the Golden Aegyptian Marble for the floor and we recovered the ancient trusses deliberately left in essence and not of white glazed as the sloping roof. The walls were painted with stripes (white and dove gray) and embellished by a half wall panels in white lacquered wood.
  As decoration are the sconces in the shape of the jar and ceramic sculptures depicting olive branches (the true "spirit" of Puglia).
  A makeover created with the intention to marry the Apulian tradition, devoted to conviviality, with the refined atmosphere of the French decor 500 square meters dedicated to a fairytale wedding in a dream location.