The palace is part of the architectural heritage of the city of Lecce; subjected to the Superintendence's constraint, it is currently included in the list of Italian Historical Houses.
The first part of the building dates back to the 16th century; the building has then been subject to several revisions, the most important of which is the one that led to the construction of the beautiful and evocative balcony of the ortale, attributed to Manieri, world-famous architect and leading exponent of Lecce Baroque.
The building has two floors and, like most of Lecce's palaces, has a magnificent terrace of rough chianche, completely equipped as a 200m² roof garden; from the main terrace, an external iron staircase leads to a smaller terrace, where a swimming pool has been built for the exclusive use of guests.
From the entrance on the ground floor - equipped with a cloakroom with adjoining guest bathroom completely covered in splendid marble - through the passageway in the historic part of the building, one reaches the lounges and a splendid dining room and kitchen.
The first room, entirely restored by the owners and furnished with original 17th century furniture, is decorated with magnificent paintings and a beautiful painted ceiling, set in a frame of Lecce stone, entirely hand-carved by the few remaining local stonemasons.
The second salon, known as the 'fireplace salon', is enriched by a large fireplace, entirely reconstructed and sculpted by hand. The furnishings in the lounge are also period and give the room a special warmth.
The dining room, which reflects the ancient dining rooms of the 17th century, is furnished with a sumptuous table, surrounded by tapestries with hunting scenes.
On the ground floor there is a large eat-in kitchen, equipped with all kinds of appliances and with a magnificent wine cellar and a large pantry.
The ground floor has a very spacious service bedroom with en-suite bathroom, very useful to accommodate any domestic help.
A large wrought iron staircase, designed by a skilled architect, leads to the upper floor, where all the rooms, which collapsed with the passage of time, have been reconstructed, meticulously following the fragmentary information found at the land registry about the distribution of space at the time.
The upper floor has a large living room, onto which the doors of the bedrooms open.
The master bedroom is a very large room with a terrace, extremely bright, furnished according to the dictates of the historical period and with a very special fireplace in hand-carved Lecce stone.
The master part includes a corridor of wardrobes and a study, which overlooks the famous historical balcony of the Manieri, a very spacious bathroom with double sinks with a double shower and a jacuzzi, and a part dedicated to the gym with Tecnogym equipment for daily exercise.
The first floor ends with two more double bedrooms with large en-suite bathrooms, finely tiled with purely local hand-painted ceramics, as well as a single bedroom with the possibility of a double bed. Each room has an outdoor space to enjoy the sunny days.
The building is surrounded by a fully equipped garden.
The house can also be accessed from the inner courtyard, through a large door, which overlooks the small square from which the building takes its name.
Every day a trusted person will call in the building to make the beds.
The property is located in a traffic-restricted area (no parking pass) in the historical centre. Parking is possible 100m away, outside the city walls.
Services by appointment only:
Private dinghy hire
Cook
Catering
Shuttle service
Massages
The pool is open from 01.06 - 15.10. Due to renovation works, it will be only open from 1 July 2023.
