Rocco Forte’s Masseria del Cardinale to Open in 2028, Bringing Stays, Wellness and Jobs to Boost Tourism Growth in Puglia’s Itria Valley

Published on December 3, 2025

Rocco Forte Hotels will further strengthen its position in southern Italy with the planned opening in 2028 of Masseria del Cardinale in Fasano. This latest addition will be the brand’s second hotel in Puglia, joining Masseria Torre Maizza, which opened in 2019 and helped to establish the region as a luxury countryside retreat.

The new hotel will rise within a historic estate in the Itria Valley-an area of Puglia known for its rolling landscapes, stone farmsteads, and traditional hilltop villages. The estate is leased through a deal between PGIM’s real estate business and Re.vo with Dekus as development partner. This structure allows Rocco Forte Hotels to focus on premium hospitality, long-term destination positioning, and a style of growth in tune with Italy’s regional tourism ambitions.

Historic Masseria Evolving into a Refined Retreat

The future Masseria del Cardinale will be housed in a traditional masseria, the fortified farmhouse that has become a signature feature of Puglia’s rural identity. Once the renovation is complete, the property is expected to offer around eighty six rooms and suites, creating an intimate resort atmosphere rather than a large scale complex.

Guests will find elegant accommodation that respects the original stone structures and courtyards, while introducing the kind of comfort associated with a five star countryside retreat. The hotel will include restaurants, a stylish bar, generous event and meeting spaces, an Irene Forte Spa, and a large outdoor swimming pool framed by gardens and Mediterranean vegetation.

This blend of heritage architecture, contemporary interiors, and resort style amenities is designed to attract travellers looking for authentic Italian settings, slow paced stays, and high service standards, whether they are visiting for leisure holidays, destination weddings, or corporate retreats.

Design Vision Inspired by Itria Valley’s Landscape and Heritage

The renovation of Masseria del Cardinale will be overseen by Olga Polizzi, Deputy Chairman and Director of Design at Rocco Forte Hotels, working with Luigi Fragola Architects, a respected Florence based studio. Their shared brief is to safeguard the historic character of the estate while making it fully suited to modern luxury travel.

The design approach is expected to emphasise local stone walls, vaulted ceilings, whitewashed facades, and natural materials that echo Puglia’s coastal light and rural setting. Interiors are likely to feature bespoke furnishings, soft textiles, and carefully framed views towards the gardens and Itria Valley countryside.

The aim is to create a strong sense of place, reflecting Italian craftsmanship and regional culture, while supporting broader goals of heritage preservation and responsible tourism development. In doing so, the estate becomes both a luxury hotel and a living example of how historic rural properties can be given new life through carefully managed hospitality projects.

Culinary and Wellness Experiences as Tourism Magnets

Food and wellbeing will sit at the heart of the guest experience at Masseria del Cardinale, helping the hotel tap into two of the fastest growing segments in international tourism. The restaurants are expected to highlight Puglian produce, from olive oil and local wines to seasonal vegetables, coastal seafood, and traditional recipes reinterpreted in a contemporary way. This focus on regional gastronomy reinforces Puglia’s image as a destination for food driven travel.

The Irene Forte Spa will anchor the property’s wellness offering, with treatments inspired by Mediterranean ingredients and a layout that connects indoor spaces with the gardens and open air terraces. Together with the swimming pool, quiet corners, and opportunities for walking or cycling in the surrounding landscape, the hotel is well positioned to attract health conscious travellers, long stay guests, and visitors looking for off season restorative breaks.

By promoting culinary experiences and wellness programmes, the property supports the broader shift towards experiential tourism in Italy, where travellers look beyond traditional sightseeing to seek out meaningful, place based activities.

Tourism Impact: Economic Benefits for Fasano and the Itria Valley

The opening of Masseria del Cardinale in 2028 is expected to add momentum to Puglia’s tourism growth, particularly in and around Fasano and the Itria Valley. The region is already known for its trulli towns, vineyards, olive groves, and coastline, but the arrival of another high end resort under an established international brand will further raise its profile among discerning travellers.

From a tourism impact angle, the hotel can draw higher spending visitors interested in culture, gastronomy, wellness, and rural landscapes, encouraging them to stay longer and travel outside the usual high season. This, in turn, supports local employment in hospitality, transport, maintenance, and specialist services, while creating demand for local producers, including farmers, wine makers, artisans, and experience operators offering tours, activities, and excursions.

As the estate welcomes guests throughout the year, it can help smooth out seasonal peaks, supporting year round business for nearby restaurants, shops, and service providers. This fits with wider efforts to promote balanced tourism development across Italy’s regions, where visitors are encouraged to discover less crowded destinations without overburdening heavily visited cities.

Linking Heritage Revival with Sustainable Destination Growth

The transformation of Masseria del Cardinale also illustrates how heritage buildings can be integrated into sustainable tourism strategies. Instead of constructing a new resort from scratch, the project focuses on reviving an existing estate, maintaining its architectural features and landscape connections. This approach supports heritage conservation, reduces the need for extensive new land use, and preserves the visual character of rural Puglia.

By controlling capacity, respecting the surrounding environment, and prioritising quality over volume, the project follows a model of premium, low impact tourism. Visitors gain access to nature, culture, and local life, while the destination retains its authenticity and avoids the pressures associated with overtourism.

Strengthening Italy’s Position in High Value Experiential Travel

With Masseria del Cardinale, Rocco Forte Hotels continues to create a balance in its city properties in places such as Rome, Florence, and Palermo with countryside retreats that showcase Italy’s regional diversity. This strategy supports Italy’s broader positioning as a leader in high value, experience-driven tourism, wherein travelers are drawn by heritage, gastronomy, landscapes, and wellbeing rather than only major urban attractions.

With 2028 in the near future, this project showcases how targeted investment in quality hospitality can serve to diversify tourism, provide jobs, and raise destination awareness for places like Puglia’s Itria Valley. Through a thoughtful combination of carefully thought-out design, luxury service, and place attachment, Masseria del Cardinale is sure to become a leading example of how Italian countryside tourism can balance memorable experiences for guests with long-lasting economic and social gains for local communities.