Palazzo Bozzi Corso — Lecce, Italy

Palazzo Bozzi Corso hotel guestroom, Lecce, Italy
(Image credit: Patrick Locqueneux)

Antonia Filali and her brother Giacomo-Fouad were clearly so taken by the experience of opening their first boutique hotel La Fiermontina in Lecce, that less than three years later, they have debuted a second in the ancient Puglian town.

Wisely, French studio Laboratoire Design Rabat have worked light touches on the aristocratic bones of the 1775 baroque palazzo to carve out ten large suites, whose original high ceilings and light-filled volumes are contrasted by long creamy drapes, Le Corbusier Escargots lamps, and classic furniture by Gio Ponti and Ettore Sottsass.

What is unexpected, though, is the colour palette of plum, teal and green which creates a dramatic backdrop for the owners’ tastefully curated art and sculpture collection – the latter a stylish teaser for their family’s modern art museum, nearby.

In this part of Italy, there is no shortage of diversions, not least a day’s cruise on the Adriatic, a picnic in an oak orchard on the Byzantine Road, or, a post-nap lap in sister hotel La Fiermontina’s pool. Chef Maria Carla Pennetta, meanwhile, tempts with a cucina povera menu based on her family’s recipes – think, stuffed eggplants grilled with mink, alongside farm-fresh caciocavallo and cacioricotta cheeses.

Palazzo Bozzi Corso hotel guestroom, Lecce, Italy

(Image credit: Patrick Locqueneux)

Palazzo Bozzi Corso hotel bedroom, Lecce, Italy

(Image credit: Patrick Locqueneux)

Palazzo Bozzi Corso hotel midcentury design, Lecce, Italy

(Image credit: Patrick Locqueneux)

Palazzo Bozzi Corso hotel bathroom, Lecce, Italy

(Image credit: Patrick Locqueneux)

Palazzo Bozzi Corso hotel bathroom, Lecce, Italy

(Image credit: Patrick Locqueneux)

Palazzo Bozzi Corso hotel courtyard, Lecce, Italy

(Image credit: Patrick Locqueneux)

ADDRESS

Via Umberto I
38-73100
Lecce
Italy

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Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.