Mantatelurè

What the property says

Mantatelurè is small enough to be run by a handful of people, and the house introduces them: an owner, a house manager, a housekeeper and a pastry maker. The owner, Marco Cimmino, comes from the world of design and fashion and followed the rebirth of the building closely.

The building is a residence dating to 1550, restored to become what the house calls one of the city’s symbolic palazzi. It has six rooms and suites, so it feels closer to a private house than to a hotel.

That scale explains the oddities. The house runs six themed radio channels for guests, and it offers a pillow menu with three choices.

The rooms and suites

The house lists four types. Two Deluxe rooms are the entry point. All rooms have a 180 by 200 cm double bed and a desk corner, and the Deluxe bathroom has a large shower with a rain head and toiletries by Etro. Bed linen is fine cotton percale.

The Junior Suites are called the Gemelle, the twins. They sleep up to three, using a relaxation corner that converts to a third bed, and have a king-size shower for two. The Suites add a living area, a sofa bed for up to two more guests and a two-person hydromassage tub. One of them has a canopy bed.

The Apartment is the one for long stays. It has a living area, a fully equipped kitchenette and a table for four, and the house says it suits long stays, including with a small pet.

Eating and drinking

Breakfast is the meal here. It is a buffet in the Salotto, the lounge, and most of it is made by hand. Furnutelurè is the house’s bakery corner, which turns out croissants, cornetti, tarts and cakes each morning, mostly made by the owner, Marco. Gluten-free products are available.

The team includes a pastry maker, Anna, and the house says the smell of baking fills the residence every morning.

La Cantina is a wine corner for a book and a glass, with local, national and international labels. If dinner in the building matters, ask the house when you book.

The setting

The house stands on Via dei Prioli, in Lecce, and the palazzo has an inner garden with a jacuzzi and a terrace with a solarium. These are the shared spaces the house calls its crown jewels.

For the city, the concierge offers guided tours and for the coast, boat trips to the caves. It can also arrange massages, beauty treatments and a make-up artist on request. A travel designer on the team builds the experience for you. Ask the concierge which excursions run in the season you travel.

The coast is not on the doorstep, so a rental car is your link to it.

Good to know

• The house has six rooms and suites, so book early, especially for the Apartment or a Suite.
• Reception keeps split hours with an afternoon break. Tell the house your arrival time.
• The shuttle to and from Brindisi and Bari airports must be booked with your reservation. A shuttle also meets guests at Lecce railway station.
• For parking, contact the house before you arrive and ask where to leave the car.
• The Apartment page mentions small pets. Ask about pets for other rooms.
• Wi-Fi is available throughout the building.
• Children, opening months and weddings: no answer on the pages we read.
• Price band: 2 of 5 (estimated: no official rate found).

Is it right for you?

It suits couples and independent travelers who like a house with a point of view, who want to walk Lecce, and who will happily spend the evening out in town. The Apartment makes it workable for a longer stay, with its own kitchenette.

Look elsewhere if a pool, a spa on the premises or a restaurant decides the trip, or if you want a reception open late. Tivoli Palazzo 1880 Lecce has a heated indoor pool, a spa and a restaurant. For a coast stay, Masseria Borgo Sentinella is near the sea in Torre dell’Orso.

Getting there

The house is in Lecce, in Lecce and the North Salento coast, and it describes the way in from the Brindisi to Lecce road toward the center, ending in Via V. dei Prioli.

You can come without a car: the house runs a shuttle from the airports and the station. At Lecce station the shuttle waits on the platform and takes you to the house in a few minutes. Ask the house for the shuttle price when you book. A car matters only if you plan to leave the city for the coast.