La Contessa
This elegant villa has been restored with the lightest of touches and offers a chic and comfortable stay in this delightful corner of Puglia
La Contessa is an 18th century villa for ten that sits among the olive groves and dry-stone walls of sun-baked Salento, right down in the south of mainland Italy.
Once owned by one of the oldest noble families of the region, the Tafuri family, fittingly it has been restored and renovated by a local Italian and his French wife with the same lightness of touch they have brought to the neighbouring properties: Il Barone and La Baronessa, all on walking distance from each other.
The house is a glorious celebration of the soft Puglian light, with sand-coloured interiors and natural materials. Outside, the ancient wisteria-clad loggia with its original frescos and stone benches whispers full-on Italian romance, while inside, nothing is superfluous and what has been introduced perfectly accentuates the noble architecture.
Five large, double en-suite bedrooms accommodate guests in privacy and comfort while the living spaces are light, large and lovely. Particular attention has been paid to the use of local, natural materials, a soft colour palette that reflects the landscape and a lighting scheme that mixes antique with modern.
Guests will be drawn outside, to jump in the pool, soak up the sun or rest in the shade on whichever side of the house suits the mood or moment. A car is essential for exploring the neighbouring Baroque towns and villages and for getting to the coast. Once there, walk through the pine forest to a rocky cove in the Porto Selvaggio nature reserve. This is the best of Puglia and La Contessa is the perfect villa.
