History of the Masseria
Among the various types of masserie (the term derives from massa as a group of land or block of rural buildings), the oldest are those that have square-based towers inside them, which, located a short distance from the coast, were real military garrisons against the Saracen attack.This type of farm is therefore defined as fortified precisely because it was initially characterised by its defensive function. Once they lost their original function, they became the centre of the various agricultural activities in the area. In the Platea dei beni conventuali delle Benedettine di Ugento of 1671 it was called Cianferante.The east and north elevations are very beautiful, enriched by a series of elegant corbels surmounted by frames: the machicolations, interrupting the series of corbels, create a pleasant visual effect. Cesare d'Acquino e Pierluigi Bolognini Masseria del Salento, Capone Editore
Restoration
The work mainly concerned the 12th century tower, which underwent a thorough conservative restoration. Particularly on the external facades, corbels, machicolations, cornices, modillions as well as the interior, with the recovery of the old paving, the canal and the cistern for collecting rainwater.
The restoration work on the external facades of the Tower can be summarised as follows:
- general overhaul consisting of inspecting the state of preservation of the ashlars and eliminating all "extraneous" elements from the stone, taking every precaution to safeguard the integrity of the ashlars;
- thin filling of the joints between ashlars and consolidation of the honeycombs, carried out with a mixture similar to stone to preserve the natural colouring;
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stitching and unstitching in particularly eroded parts or where, in a renovation in the 1980s, these erosions had been plastered with unsuitable methods and materials;
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Reconstruction of a section of the cornice on the east side, replaced by a tufa ashlar and reconstruction, in one case partial and in the other total, of two modillions also on the east side.
- consolidation of the modillion located in the east-north corner using pins and resin.