Palazzo de Mori

Why it’s on the Edit

Palazzo de Mori is an old noble house on the ramparts of Otranto, in the historic center. It belonged first to the Leondari family, who gave their name to the old lane that leads to it. One of them, the nobleman Michele Leondari, is named by the palazzo as one of the 800 martyrs who died defending the city from the Saracen invasion.

It was renovated in full and keeps its historic character: a patio paved in stone, ashlar roofing, stone columns that define the terrace parapet, and wooden beams in the Superior rooms.

It stands a few steps from the small Byzantine church of San Pietro, the Aragonese Castle and the cathedral. You sleep inside the old town, with the bay on one side and the ramparts and castle on the other.

The rooms

The rooms are spread over several floors. The standard room is on the ground floor, entered from the inner courtyard, with a double bed and a private bathroom, about 16 square meters.

The upper rooms are on the second floor of a historic building, so ask about stairs and luggage. On the second floor there are two rooms with a view of the Aragonese Castle and two with a view of the sea, each with a double bed and a bathroom. A first-floor room adds a small balcony with a glimpse of sea and castle.

The larger options are the Junior Suite San Pietro, 30 square meters on the ground floor with a double bedroom and a twin room, two bathrooms and entrances from both the lane and the courtyard, and a suite on the piano nobile with a small sea-view lounge, a double bedroom, a king-size bedroom and an adjoining bathroom. A further ground-floor unit is entered from the lane through a French window and has a double bedroom and a second room with a single bed.

The Deluxe apartment, 100 square meters, has independent access from the historic lane of via Leondari and from the ramparts. It has a large living room with a sofa bed, a kitchen, a terrace with a sea view, a double bedroom upstairs and a connected bathroom.

All rooms have wi-fi, a courtesy set, air conditioning, an LCD television and soundproofing.

Eating and drinking

Breakfast is served on the panoramic terrace over the bay of Otranto. The palazzo calls the terrace one of the city’s vantage points over the bay, looking straight onto the water.

Breakfast is the only meal the palazzo describes. The Deluxe apartment has its own kitchen, so a group can cook there.

The setting

The setting is the old town itself. One side of the palazzo overlooks the bay and the channel of Otranto, the other the ramparts and the castle. The Byzantine church, the castle and the cathedral are a few steps away.

The Aragonese Castle is an imposing fortress, now a cultural venue that draws thousands of visitors a year, according to the town’s own pages. Inside the palazzo, the outdoor spaces are the terrace and the stone-paved patio.

Good to know

• Rooms have wi-fi, air conditioning and soundproofing.
• The Deluxe apartment has a kitchen and its own entrance from the historic lane.
• Breakfast is served on the panoramic terrace.
• Not confirmed here: parking, pets, children’s facilities, opening months and a lift.
• Price band: 2 of 5 (estimated: no official rate found).

Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere

Couples and small groups who want to walk everywhere in Otranto and have the old town at the door will like the location. The Deluxe apartment suits a group that wants a kitchen and a sea-view terrace.

A pool, a restaurant in the building and parking are not confirmed here, so ask before you book if any of them matters. Palascia Wellness Relais is a small seaside hotel outside town near a lighthouse. Masseria Panareo is a medieval masseria with a pool and a restaurant.

Getting there

Palazzo de Mori is on the Bastione dei Pelagi in Otranto’s old town, in the Otranto and the Adriatic Salento area. Fly into Brindisi, the nearer airport; Bari is further north.

The palazzo is inside the old town, at the end of the historic lane of via Leondari. Ask where to leave the car and how to carry your bags.