While Salento, the heel of Italy’s boot, is known for its coastline and baroque architecture, until the mid-twentieth century the region’s economy was centered on tobacco. At the industry’s peak, more than half of the subpeninsula’s population was employed in its production, and the majority of workers were women. Today many former factories and masserie, or traditional farmhouses, are being converted into restaurants and boutique hotels. Advertisements for these spaces often focus on the authenticity of the restored architecture and on the inclusion of original production equipment and tools