Our 6 days at the villa were the most relaxing ones of our month-long vacation. Having the pool and being in the quiet countryside (but just a few minutes from town) made it a very pleasant stay. We were absolutely happy with our choice to stay with Riccardo & near Martina Franca. The town has a nice mix of local scene plus tourist amenities and is a convenient base for day trips to the beach, Alberobello, Locorotondo, Lecce and more. Riccardo was a wonderful host - able to communicate in English and very patient with our poor Italian. If you like dogs or cats his pets will happily adopt you (very much enjoyed by our daughter) but they will ignore you if that is what you want. Highly recommend the Itria Valley Villa for a great escape!