By Clemence the 22/07/2019

Meeting with Fabienne Maestracci: A Loghja di Cavallo Morto

Agritourism at its best. Looking for an authentic break? Quiet, green, no TV and in sync with agricultural life and seasons... At the end of a small road lined with white stone walls, you’ll find the perfect retreat at Cavallo Morto, at the edge of Bonifacio.

What can you tell us about yourself?

I am a former restaurant owner and author of several books - “Contes et Légendes du peuple Corse”, “A Cucina, Tempi fà”, “Corses gourmandes: produits, recettes et saveurs de la Corse” and “La Corse: Randonnées à cheval”.

What about your operation?

We are welcoming you into our home, in this 17th-century residence situated on our 30-hectare farm, one of the oldest agricultural estates in the far south.

The guest rooms and the cottage are not our only activity, as Loghja di Cavallo Morto is a veritable agritourism operation. Above all we are olive oil producers, with production taking place on site. Indeed, Bonifacio has been a mecca for Corsican olive trees since ancient times.

We have a large 15-hectare olive grove which allows us to produce the olive oil that we sell in two-litre bottles both on site and in other small areas of the region.

Our trees are centuries old and you should not miss a walk in the olive grove, where time seems to have stopped and where since time immemorial the old trees have been giving a precious, sweet oil, with aromas of fresh almond and ripe fruit.

We also have horses, which are my passion, as well as sheep.

©ATC-Sylvain Alessandri

©ATC-Sylvain Alessandri

©ATC-Sylvain Alessandri

What about the guest rooms?

This is a guest house in the true meaning of the term, since we welcome people into our home and my room is right next to theirs. We share our living space, the living room, the kitchen...We have four bedrooms with private bathrooms in the house and a stone cottage just outside the garden, which can accommodate two people.

In here there is no air conditioning, no television, you live in the rhythm of nature, of agricultural life, of books....

Breakfast is served in the shade, in the garden next to the swimming pool built into the stone, only with organic and homemade products, around a large table for those who wish to meet their neighbours or at a small table for those who prefer a more intimate meal.