The Story of Our House in Contrada Sicarico
On the hills above Monopoli lies Cozzana, a rural district where time seems to have stood still. Here, the land has always been generous: olive trees, almond groves, vineyards, and small stone houses scattered between low hills of limestone. For centuries, families lived from this earth, shaping it with terraces, dry-stone walls, and underground cisterns that still mark the landscape today.
Contrada Sicarico takes its name from this ancient rural world. Historical archives mention it as part of the Monopoli countryside already in the 17th and 18th centuries, when noble families and religious orders owned parcels of land here. Life was simple, centered on agriculture, yet deeply tied to the rhythms of the seasons: the grape harvest in September, the olive harvest in November, evenings spent by the fire in winter, weddings and village feasts in summer.
Our house was part of that story. It began as two stone cantinas, where farmers stored their olives and wine. At the beginning of the 20th century, they were joined together by a house built directly on the rock of the hill. With thick stone walls to protect from the summer heat, vaulted ceilings, and small windows opening onto the countryside, it was typical of rural Puglia. Generations worked the land from here, watching over the fields, making oil and wine, and raising families.
When we first came to Contrada Sicarico, the house carried all these memories but had fallen silent. The cantinas were still there, the stone still strong, but the walls bore the marks of time and abandonment. We felt immediately that this place deserved a new life — not as a museum, but as a living home, welcoming those who wish to discover the soul of Puglia.
Today, after careful renovation, the house once again breathes. The cantinas have been preserved, telling of their past, while the living spaces bring comfort and warmth. The pool reflects the sky where once cisterns collected rainwater. The outdoor lounge, with its fireplace, recalls the evenings when families gathered around the flames to share stories.
By staying here, you become part of this history. You sleep within walls that have seen centuries of harvests. You look out at olive trees whose roots run deeper than memory. You walk the same paths that connected generations of farmers to Monopoli and the sea.
This is not just a holiday villa. It is a place where past and present meet, where you can feel the silence of Sicarico’s countryside and the richness of its traditions — while enjoying the comfort of a home reborn for today.
✨ Our wish is simple: that every guest who comes to Contrada Sicarico feels the same connection we felt — to the land, to its history, and to a way of life that is both timeless and profoundly human.
“According to the Catasto Onciario of Monopoli (1754, Volumes 48-52), our land lies in one of the rural contrade listed in the registering of properties in Cozzana. The Palmieri family is named in local notarial deeds as owner of parcels here, and maps from those volumes show dry-stone walls and terraces remarkably similar to those still visible around our house. Additionally, the ‘Selva d’Oro’ archives of Abate Capitanio preserve 19th-century documents referencing the sale and use of land ‘in contrada Cozzana’ by local landowning families.”
History of Cozzana and Contrada Sicarico
Cozzana: A Rural Landscape
Cozzana is one of the historic rural districts (contrade) of Monopoli, a city whose countryside has been cultivated for centuries. The land here is stony, yet fertile, marked by olive groves, vineyards, orchards, and terraces held together by dry-stone walls. Scattered across the hills are masserie (fortified farmhouses), small chapels, and stone dwellings that once hosted generations of farmers.
Life in Cozzana has always been tied to the rhythm of the seasons: the olive harvest in autumn, the grape harvest in late summer, wheat threshing under the sun, and festivals that united the community around churches and patron saints. The landscape you see today — with its olive trees, almond blossoms, and whitewashed walls — is the product of centuries of patient work.
Noble Families and the Dominican Estates
From the 17th century onward, much of the land in Cozzana was owned by noble families and religious orders. Among the most important were the Dominicans, who established estates in the Monopoli countryside. Their properties often passed into the hands of local aristocratic families, who managed them as both agricultural and economic centers.
One of these families was the Palmieri, a prominent Monopolitani lineage. They inherited land once belonging to the Dominicans and became significant landowners in the Cozzana area. Their role was not only economic but also cultural: noble families like the Palmieri shaped the rural architecture we see today, commissioning chapels, expanding masserie, and overseeing the communities that worked their land.
Contrada Sicarico
Within this wider landscape lies Contrada Sicarico, a name that appears in local maps and land registers. Here, landowners built farmhouses and cantinas, while families cultivated olives, almonds, and vines. Our house is part of this legacy: born as two stone cantinas, later united by a house at the start of the 20th century, built directly onto the limestone rock.
Contrada Sicarico represents a typical fragment of the Monopoli countryside: a blend of agriculture, family life, and architectural heritage, all connected to the great story of Cozzana.
From Past to Present
By restoring our house in Contrada Sicarico, we are not only creating a home for travelers but also reviving a chapter of this rural history. Guests who stay with us walk among olive trees planted generations ago, sleep within walls that once stored the fruits of the harvest, and experience the authentic rhythm of the Puglian countryside.
This is why Contrada Sicarico is more than a destination: it is a living piece of heritage, connecting the present to the noble families, the Dominicans, and the farming traditions that shaped this land.
