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
-
‘Concrete Dreams’: rethinking Newcastle’s brutalist pastA new project and exhibition at the Farrell Centre in Newcastle revisits the radical urban ideas that changed Tyneside in the 1960s and 1970s
-
Mexican designers show their metal at Gallery Collectional, Dubai‘Unearthing’ at Dubai’s Gallery Collectional sees Ewe Studio designers Manu Bañó and Héctor Esrawe celebrate Mexican craftsmanship with contemporary forms
-
At The Manner, New York has a highly fashionable new living roomThe Manner, a new hopsitality experience by Standard International in the heart of SoHo, triples up as a hotel, private residence, and members’ club
-
2,734 metres above the sea, a northern Italian hotel ensures peak happinessDesigned by Senoner Tammerle Architekten, hotel Santnerpass Hütte offers the perfect off-grid retreat amid a Unesco-protected landscape
-
Retreat to Lecce’s reborn Palazzo Zimara, a baroque gem from 1557Architect Raffaele Centonze transforms the 16th-century Palazzo Zimara into an 18-room boutique hotel in the historic city centre
-
Stella D'Italia is a Renaissance haven that tells a story of FlorenceStella D’Italia is the Florentine boutique escape by local hoteliers Matteo Perduca and Betty Soldi to know
-
Experience Cardo Roma, the contemporary Roman holiday you didn’t know you neededCardo Roma, the inaugural property of Cardo Hotels, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s Autograph Collection, caters to those seeking to merge business and pleasure
-
La Pergola, one of Rome’s most coveted reservations, gets a sumptuous renovationJouin Manku re-envisions La Pergola, the acclaimed restaurant atop Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel
-
Surrender to these six swim-perfect outdoor hotel poolsDiscover the best outdoor hotel pools, from Amankila’s aquatic triptych by Ed Tuttle to Nicolas Party’s swimmable artwork at Le Sirenuse
-
Serenity reigns at Porto Ercole’s La Roqqa hotelStudio Palomba Serafini has designed La Roqqa, a new hotel in Italy’s Porto Ercole, with retro nods, Tuscan flair and contemporary luxury
-
New hotel Palazzo Cordusio is a tribute to Milan’s enduring panachePalazzo Cordusio, Gran Meliá’s Milan hotel debut, is set within a neo-classical icon moments from some of the city’s best-known landmarks
