One of the greater pleasures of visiting Puglia these days is witnessing the revival of the region's ubiquitous masserias, as one of these farmhouses after the other is spruced up and repurposed into a luxury hotel.
The latest to emerge from an extensive restoration, is the nine-room Masseria Antonia Augusto that looks out over the small town of Leverano in the province of Lecce. Every square inch has been coaxed back to life, the finished product testament to the crack team of restorers who thoroughly renovated the building's original details from the monastically arched hallways and their ceiling frescoes to the now hand-polished walls made of pietra Leccese, a regional limestone.
The austerity of the centuries-old building has been given a light and modern touch by way of Belgian furnishings – like the X-L-Lamps by Bart Lens for Eden Design and poolside furnishings by Tribù – from the province of Limburg, where the masseria's namesake owner immigrated to as an 11-year old boy. ‘Italians are true chauvinists,' says Augusto. ‘We go against the grain a little bit by bringing Limburg design into this southern Salento setting.'
The former wine cellar has been transformed into a spa with a Turkish bath and a vertical massage shower, while in-room toiletries are by Maison Margiela’s Replica line – another Limburg transplant.
During the day, you'll find us wallowing poolside, but come night, head to the ‘silent room', the restaurant's private dining space, where you can sample chef Mario Carlino's traditional Salentino dishes like homemade orechiette, melanzane alla Parmigiana from a long oak table by Belgian furniture designer Casimir.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
Strada Provinciale sp 21 Leverano
Porto Cesareo
Leverano
PHOTOGRAPHY
Marcello Moscara
-
Piaget’s new Sixtie watches recall a glamorous history at Watches and Wonders 2025Piaget draws on historical codes with the trapeze-shaped Sixtie watch collection, revealed at Watches and Wonders 2025
-
A contemporary Swiss chalet combines tradition and modernity, all with a breathtaking viewA modern take on the classic chalet in Switzerland, designed by Montalba Architects, mixes local craft with classic midcentury pieces in a refined design inside and out
-
Cartier dials up the glamour at Watches and Wonders 2025Cartier revamps much-loved watch collections, from Privé and Panthère to Tank and Tressage, upping the sparkle at the watch fair in Geneva
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Romeo Roma: a new hotel that’s one of Zaha Hadid’s last projectsLocated within Rome’s Tridente, Romeo Roma is a palimpsest of periods in which the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid left her avant-garde mark
-
Five influential women hoteliers reflect on the changing face of hospitalityAs women continue to gain ground in the hotel sector, despite still being underrepresented in senior positions, five female moguls share their experiences of the past and projections for the future
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy designThere’s more magic to the movies at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s ‘flying’ roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
-
The best Milan bars for a fashionable aperitivoMilan’s after-dark renaissance is evident in a new wave of design-led cocktail bars, setting the right mood for enticing aperitivos and nightcaps; Milan editor Laura May Todd recommends the best
-
How Four Seasons Hotels became The White Lotus’ unofficial starAs The White Lotus season three whisks us to Thailand, Marc Speichert, chief commercial officer of Four Seasons Hotels, discusses the luxury group’s perfect synergy with the hit HBO series – and where you can live the experience
-
Night at the museum: the best art hotels to book nowSleep amid surrealists at London’s Broadwick Soho, or wake up to contemporary favourites at New Hotel in Athens – indulge in an immersive art hotel experience
-
A next-generation Milanese members’ club wins Wallpaper* Design Award 2025The Wilde wins our Best Social Hub award for its embodiment of the cosmopolitan Milanese spirit
-
Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025: meet the travel winners transcending destinationsDiscover the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025 travel winners – the year’s places to stay, dine, drink and join – and watch our video to find out why they won
