With keen interest, we explore the territory, its history, culture, artistic and architectural treasures, its natural beauties and the talents of its artisans and producers.

We actively participate in the local cultural and social life, for example by sponsoring cultural events or volunteering in community activities. We are happy, of course, to share our knowledge and insights with our guests to enrich their experience.

We support the local economy by calling on local artisans, professionals and service-providers, and buying from family-run businesses and small shops.

We have found that many local professionals will go out of their way to provide quality services, to understand what we require and to follow up with friendly and generous post-sale services. When possible, we introduce bartering in our easier transactions.

We privilege local, organic products for the food and drink we serve to our guests at Podere Trafonti

Because love goes through the stomach, as they say, and also because we wish to encourage the indigenous economy built around good quality, healthy and sustainable production – including our own modest organic harvests from the olive grove, the apiary and the vegetable garden.

Though it is not easy to reach Trafonti by public transportation and the use of a car for exploring the area is almost unavoidable, we propose that guests arrive by train to a nearby city and then rent a car.

We can also easily arrange for rental bicycles or e-bikes and are happy to advise on walks and hikes, including with experienced environmental guides, and on other activities that do not require a motorized vehicle, such as truffle hunting or foraging for wild herbs.

We strive to be energy-efficient and to save water, in every way possible way. We have installed solar panels to feed into the electrical supply system and have invested greatly in insolating the buildings against excessive heat and cold.

We harvest rain and drainage water to irrigate our garden which has been planned for minimal water consumption. Bedlinens and towels are changed only when necessary or requested by our guests.

We recycle anything that can be recycled and compost what can be composted.

We privilege glass bottles for drinks and are minimizing the use of plastic, including for courtesy sets for guests. We use mostly environmentally friendly cleaning products. Our pool is calibrated to make the most efficient use of chemicals, within legal norms.

We have planted our vegetable garden according to organic permaculture principles which requires less human intervention and requires little watering.

Similarly, we grow a mix of flowers in the olive grove that provide green fertilization to the soil.

We greatly value biodiversity and respect our domestic animals and the wildlife around us, treating them with care and appreciation.

This is the reason why we have chosen to practice a bee-friendly and organic approach to beekeeping and to use only strictly indispensable amounts of insect repellents and other potentially harmful substances.