Palazzo Ventidue

A private entrance leads to the ground floor, which features a Liberty-style marble staircase that dates back to the 1940s. We painted this area a light blue, which is atypical for the region. Downstairs is another space that we haven’t touched yet but it may become a studio in the future.

As you climb to the main floor, there is a laundry room with a washing machine off to one side. The entrance room is part of a newer addition to the building, so it doesn’t have the vaulted ceilings but is still quite high. From here, a new staircase leads up to the terrace. 

On the right-hand side of the entrance room is the guest suite, which we painted a darkish green tone, and this consists of two rooms. There is a bedroom with an open shower and sink, plus a small living room with a sofa bed that would be good for kids. All of the bedrooms have ensuite bathrooms with natural brass faucets that will develop a patina over time.

On the other side of the entrance room is the kitchen and living space, which divides the bedrooms and gives them a bit more privacy. The kitchen mixes modern design with industrial and rustic elements, such as vintage lamps and a table we had custom-made by a local carpenter using reclaimed wood. The kitchen walls are painted a baby blue colour while the vaulted ceilings have a pinkish tinge. 

This was one of the exciting things about the restoration — finding out what was underneath the beige paint on the six-metre-high vaulted ceilings. In different rooms, we found different colours. In the kitchen it is pink, in the main bedroom it is blue and in the bedroom it is grey. We have left these exposed. 

Connected to the kitchen and the salon is the main bedroom, which has built-in wardrobes. We have kept the room very simple, only adding the bed, Italian lamps and marble side tables that we designed with a local artisan. As with the marble sink in the bathroom, it did the original drawings, then our architect did the detailed plans for the craftsman. 

In the Salone is a uniquely shaped marble dining table and an iconic Italian sofa that we discovered and had reupholstered. We did the same with the two armchairs in this space, one pink and one green.

On the terrace floor, there is a bedroom that overlooks the town and it has a different feeling to the rooms downstairs. It’s less “palazzo” and more “Mediterranean”. It connects to an outdoor kitchen and a shaded seating area with a rattan roof. Planted on the terrace are pomegranate and lemon trees, as well as a big central palm tree. 

OVERVIEW

Master bedroom

• Sky blue vault ceilings with large windows, king-size bed, ensuite bathroom with shower. Access to a balcony.

Suite

• Living room with a double sleeping couch, a separate bedroom with double bed and an open bathroom with shower.

Terrace room

• Located directly on the terrace, this room offers stunning views over Nardo. It comes with a king-size bed and an ensuite bathroom with shower.

Living/Dining room

• 6,5-meter high star vault ceilings with a cozy sofa and dining table for 8. Access to a balcony.

Kitchen

• Fully equipped with a large table and exposed star vault ceilings. Access to a balcony.

Rooftop terrace

• Outdoor kitchen, shaded dining area, and lounge corner to enjoy breathtaking views or sunsets above Nardò.

Included in the rates is cleaning once a week, as well as the final cleaning. Additional cleaning can be arranged on request, as can additional changes of linen and towels. The palazzo is fully self-catering and we don’t offer breakfast. But guests can easily grab fresh pastries from the nearby bakery.

I would definitely recommend visiting Lecce, which is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy. The surrounding countryside is home to lots of little towns where you can visit artisans, as well as masserias with their own restaurants. The food here is very good!

In the summertime, you can go to the beaches, with both rocky and sandy ones to choose from. There is so much variety — every day you could go somewhere that feels quite different. One of the closest is Porto Selvaggio, which is just 10 minutes away. In the summertime, Nardo also hosts a piano festival in its historic palazzi. 

It’s also nice to just hang out at the house with your friends, go to the grocery store to get fresh foodstuffs and enjoy lunch on the terrace.