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
-
This Canadian house is a precise domestic composition perched on the Nova Scotian coastBishop McDowell completed a new Canadian house overlooking the Atlantic, using minimal details and traditional forms to create a refined family home
-
‘With a small gesture of buying a postcard, we all become copyists’: the Louvre’s celebration of copying speaks to human natureContemporary artists are invited to copy works from the Louvre in a celebration of the copyist’s art, a collaboration with Centre Pompidou-Metz
-
Serious cyclists now have serious options, courtesy of two new models from CanyonWith two new bikes, the Endurace: ONfly e-bike and Endurance: AllRoad, Canyon is innovating with both price and performance
-
Inside Belmond’s most exclusive holiday villa yet, a lavish Ligurian palazzoOnce the theatre of lavish parties, Villa Beatrice is now a palatial haven of seclusion with easy access to Portofino’s Splendido, a Belmond hotel
-
The most stylish hotel takeovers to pop up at this summerFrom Capri to Ibiza, luxury fashion brands are taking over seaside resorts with exclusive boutique pop-ups and bespoke poolside accessories
-
Detour Discotheque is bringing ‘the world’s dreamiest party’ to PugliaThe pop-up event, La Dolce Vita Disco, promises dancing, good food and sunshine in a 16th-century Italian farmhouse
-
Five tranquil suites by Patricia Urquiola suspend visitors ‘between sea and sky’ in CapriPatricia Urquiola dreams up a study in contrast and tradition for the next chapter of Jumeirah Capri Palace
-
Sun-soaked European destinations to visit in springDreaming of Florentine palazzos and Greek islands now that the weather is starting to turn? Check into one of these beautiful European hotels and holiday homes
-
Everything you need to know about Italy's Lake Maggiore, according to FormafantasmaFrom baroque gardens to panoramic views, Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin show us around this Italian escape
-
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
