Retreat to Lecce’s reborn Palazzo Zimara, a baroque gem from 1557

Tucked behind grand carriage doorways on the principle thoroughfare of Lecce’s Through Giussepe Libertini, the Sixteenth-century Palazzo Zimara has reopened as an unique, 18-room boutique resort and hideaway within the historic metropolis centre. Initially in-built 1557 because the household house of an aristocrat and Renaissance thinker, the Palazzo has been masterfully restored by architect Raffaele Centonze to replicate the grandeur of its heritage.

Palazzo Zimara joins the refined D’Angelo Household Assortment alongside Lake Como’s ‘Villa Mojana’ di Limonta, Matera’s Palazzotto Residence & Vineyard and Francesco Radino Vineyard.

Palazzo Zimara, Lecce

‘The Palazzo is without doubt one of the forty protected palaces from the late Baroque interval of Lecce, and we managed to include guestrooms, a restaurant, a wine bar, a personal courtyard and a health club with out shedding the constructing’s attraction and authenticity,’ explains the architect Centonze, designer of Puglia’s equally notable Masseria Diso and Masseria Trapanà.

Regarded by Italians because the ‘Florence of the South,’ Lecce presents a trove of Baroque structure, limestone-clad buildings and two dozen historic cathedrals. The enclave boasts a mess of eating places to discover the native gastronomic scene, from posh eateries to nonna-run institutions and an opportunity to buy native wares at designer boutiques. Lecce is definitely accessible through Italy’s Jap coastal practice route or a direct flight into Brindisi airport and is a brief drive to world-renowned seashores, making it the right base for exploring the Puglia area.

Every visitor room of Palazzo Zimara presents a one-of-a-kind format, with particular person room designs responding to their pure construction. Most characteristic painted fresco partitions restored by artisan Annibale D’ambrosio, whereas others boast unique cobblestone, 3-metre excessive vaulted ceilings, multi-level bathe rooms and spas, personal balconies, arched entryways, and unique terracotta ‘cocciopesto’ tiling. Shared particulars embody unique 18th-century picket doorways, illuminated up to date closets by DA A Italia, Salotificco Scatiga leather-based upholstered mattress frames, Massimo Maci and Flos lighting, Barba Arredi furnishings and an in-house physique and skincare line produced for the resort.

Company start their mornings with breakfast served within the interior stone courtyard, providing freshly baked bread, do-it-yourself croissants, pastries and delectable omelettes, all to be loved with a conventional ‘Caffe Leccese,’ an espresso over ice with sweetened almond milk. Later, they will escape the warmth with a dip within the rooftop pool opening in early 2025 or go for tailor-made private experiences from in-room personal massages, reflexology therapies, private coaching classes on the property’s upper-level health club, or personal evening excursions of next-door Basilica di Santa Croce.

Come afternoon, the Palazzo’s floor flooring hosts Radino Wine Bar for lunch and aperitivo, providing unique organic labels from native vineyards and an outside terrasse dealing with the road for people-watching. For dinner, the in-house La Bocca restaurant presents a recent Mediterranean menu helmed by Govt Chef Gabriel Piga inside a beautiful cavernous setting or outside eating within the interior courtyard.