Superbly respectful of its 17th-century foundations, La Fiermontina is a peerless modernist update to the masseria (Pugliese country estate or farmhouse) it once was. Star-pinnacle vaulted ceilings rise above marble flagstone and traditional pietra Leccese (local white limestone) floors in many of the 18 boutique bedrooms, furnished to befit the building’s storied past with stone fireplaces, staircases and antiques. Downstairs, the restaurant serves cucina povera: translated literally, “poor kitchen” or “peasant cooking”, but in fact a world of simple culinary delights such as fresh pasta with flavoursome vegetables – which can be enjoyed either in the dining room or al fresco in the walled garden.
Life slows right down in Lecce, an artistically rich town just 20 minutes from the picturesque Salento coast where the Adriatic and Ionian seas meet. After exploring its close-knit streets and sauntering back to La Fiermontina, down the olive-lined path to the pool and sculpture garden, any other mode of living may seem quite impossible.
