Country villa near Oria with roof terraces facing the castle and olives

Five minutes' drive from the centre of Oria, a small Puglian town crowned by a Swabian castle, this single-storey country villa sits on a fully fenced plot of around 3,000 sq m (about three-quarters of an acre) planted with olive and fruit trees. It has three bedrooms, a living room with fireplace, a separate guest annex with its own bathroom and, up on the roof, wide terraces that look straight across to the castle and the cathedral dome.

You reach the house along a quiet country lane. An electric gate opens onto a large paved courtyard with plenty of room to park, and the front of the house is taken up by a covered veranda more than 12 metres long, with columns and a pierced white balustrade. It's where you'll have lunch from May to October.

Inside, everything opens off the living room (around 30 sq m), built around a white corner fireplace with a terracotta hearth. Two bedrooms lie on one side; on the other are the shower room and the main bedroom of about 12 sq m. The kitchen is at the back, with a window onto the garden and a door straight out to the rear terrace. It's currently unfitted, so you can design it the way you want. The rooms have white-painted walls, tiled floors, wooden doors and windows with inner shutters and security grilles; there's air conditioning in the living room and an alarm system.

An outside staircase on the west side leads to the roof terraces. Next to it, with its own entrance, is an annex of about 19 sq m with two windows and a small bathroom tucked under the stairs: a fourth bedroom, a guest room or a quiet place to work.

The roof terraces are walkable and generously sized, enclosed by a parapet, with space for a sun deck facing Oria's skyline. At the back of the house, a second covered terrace opens straight onto the orchard, where citrus trees grow between the olives. It's the natural spot for an outdoor kitchen with a wood-fired oven or barbecue, and there's room alongside for a swimming pool if you want one. The land has two wells: the spring-fed well supplies the house, while the artesian well is used for irrigation.

The house is in good condition and ready for summer use as it stands. To live here all year round, some upgrades will be needed, which a new owner can plan to suit their own needs.

Location: Oria town centre and its railway station are about 5 minutes by car, Francavilla Fontana about 10. The Ionian beaches around Campomarino and San Pietro in Bevagna are 25-30 minutes away, Brindisi airport about 30 minutes, Ostuni and the Itria Valley about 40 minutes and Lecce around 50 minutes. Bari airport is roughly 1 hour 30 minutes. Viewings can be arranged on request.