We are Corné and Ans Ooms, a Dutch couple and the proud owners of I Trulli degli Zii.

After many years of travelling for business and being dispatched to the Far East with our 2 sons, we are delighted to have our home base in the Netherlands as well as in our beloved Puglia.

Our love for food, culture and design made us decide to settle in Italy. Here in the countryside of Ostuni we found this magnificent Trullo which we have transformed to a beautiful accommodation, an oasis of peace and quiet surrounded by beautiful olive trees, from which we produce our own oil.

Despite our busy lives and business challenges, things were going well for us until we were confronted with a unexpected twist a few years ago summer which made us realize that we needed to slow down and enjoy life more.

We decided to do what we actually intended to do in about 10 years' time. Buying a property in Puglia and living part of the year in our homeland, the Netherlands and the other part in this region we fell in love with many years ago.

We started looking for a house in the autumn of 2021 and soon came across our dream house and the purchase was quickly made. The best decision and change we made and we are very grateful that this opportunity was given to us. Since the beginning of 2023, we've acquired a new addition, located 800 meters from our Trullo degli Zii. This trullo is called "Lo Zio Piccolo," which translates to "The Little Uncle" in English. The reference to "Zii," meaning uncles, relates to our Dutch family name, Ooms

If we look to the future, we hope to be the owners of more properties in this region to make even more people experience Puglia as well. We also hope we can fulfill our dream to produce our own wine next to our olive oil.

I have worked for many years in the food industry that has intensified my interest for food and my passion for cooking. Producing our own olive oil and hopefully also our own wine is a long-cherished wish that I had never dared dream of as a son of a farmer. My future ambition is that I would love to cook together with my wife in other people's homes for groups, here in Valle d'Itria, using local fresh ingredients. I would love to surprise people with my dishes, a mix of many cuisines which I have come to know during my life , says Corné.

For Ans, Puglia stands for clearing your head and then filling it with new impressions of nature, picturesque towns with fairytale streets and alleys and beautiful beaches. These beaches loom up as you drive down through the olive-covered hills of Valley d’Itria. If you are like me addicted to new impressions, Puglia is a must visit.

We hope to welcome you to our little paradises here in the South of Italy and that you will fall in love with this region and its people as we did.

A presto!

Corné & Ans Ooms, happy owners of I Trulli degli Zii