Our group of 8 adults enjoyed a marvellous time at this unique house. The outdoor areas in Summer were particularly useful, the pool and the shade excellent, the location to many surrounding areas a real treat. Poggiardo is a lovely town, close to Castro and well located for a day trip to Lecce and many wonderful coastal towns. Maria was a delight to deal with. Highly recommend.

Our group of 6 adults and 5 children (aged 7-12) spent a lovely week in Palazzo Umberto Poggidaro in August 2022. The accommodation is split over three floors which suited our three families. The kitchen is small but the outside space more than makes up for it. The pool area (with a gate) was beautiful and the pool was a great size and depth for our kids who spent the week swimming. The green space to the side of the house was lovely and cool during the heat and the kids loved playing on the grass with the bowls set. There was ample parking for three cars. Palazzo Umberto is a traditional rustic beautiful house - we loved the pool area and outside space. Poggidaro is a small town with some lovely bars and a good choice of restaurants - close to towns such as Ortrano and Castro. There were lots of events on in the town while we were there - the weekly market, a music concert and a Cuban night. We had a great week and would recommend the Palazzo to friends and family.

Had a lovely week in Poggiardo. Once inside the property is amazing with its court yard, lovely pool and orchard area - it is like your own private hideaway. The property is well kitted out with all amenities and a well equipped kitchen had everything we needed. There was plenty of room inside and out- although most evenings were spent on the outdoor terrace. - even in October! There are some nice restaurants/bistros nearby along with the local bakery shops/butchers/fishmongers and a good size supermarket. The Wednesday street market is well worth a look. It was a good base for trips to Lecce and down along the coast Maria was very helpful in settling us in and helped us to organise Maria Rosaria to come to the villa to cook an authentic Puglian meal which was a lovely night and would definitely recommend. Can not recommend Palazzo Umberto enough as a wonderful place to stay. Grazie mille!

Nous avons passé une très bonne semaine de vacances dans cette villa. Accueil par la propriétaire sympathique et chaleureuse. Une ancienne demeure avec beaucoup de charme et avec une grande piscine où les enfants ont passé beaucoup de temps.

The best house in the best place! TOP

We spent most of the summer of 2018 at this amazing home in Poggiardo. It makes an outstanding home base to explore Salento and Apulia! First, Poggiardo is a perfect town to call "home" in Salento. The people are welcoming, the town is not pretentious or touristy, most things are walkable for your daily needs. You can easily have coffee and pastry, explore local streets and shops, fix lunch al fresco at the villa, and then dine out deliciously in any number of great restaurants just steps from your door. Then head for the coast -- most of Salento's beaches are an easy day trip. Do you want rocky pools or sandy stretches? The owner can answer any particular questions you have. There are many free beaches within 15/30 mins as well as numerous "Lido" establishments that offer a range of amenities for a fee. The nearby towns are breathtaking. You can wander happily for hours with some new charm around every corner. We especially loved Castro and Lecce. Most have great choices for Salento cuisine -- with crazy fresh ingredients from the nearby sea and farms. We even made a day trip up to explore Trulli country -- also amazing. The driving is easy and parking is manageable for free or for a small fee (paid at a kiosk with cash or card). The house is more amazing than the photos show. It is spacious, and it offers everyone someplace to relax. The owners have done such a tasteful job throughout. We frequently had a houseful (including children) and made the most of the pool and all the outdoor spaces. Tge owners respond immediately to questions or concerns you may have. They are committed to being great hosts and sharing this spectacular part of the world with visitors. Stay longer than you think you should. There is so much to enjoy.... perfect holidays! C.V.

Perfetta!!! Villa stupenda, immensa, in un posto incredibile!! Tutto profumava di pulito ed era cosí spazioso. Fuori la porta del palazzo ci stavano bar e ristorantini raggiungibili a piedi, botteghe di artigiani e negozi di orafi artigiani.... che bello!!! Dietro il palazzo il giardino era bellissimo, un eden, un grande prato verde dove i miei figli potevano giocare liberamente. La cosa piú bella la sala biliardo nella cantina che é stata una vera sorpresa. Abbiamo avuto modo di usare le bici messe a disposizione dal proprietario per raggiungere la bellissima spiaggia dell'Acquaviva. Una casa assolutamente perfetta per posizione e confort. Rimarrà un ricordo indelebile e speriamo di tornarci presto. Grazie L.S.

Ho trascorso con la mia famiglia delle vacanze semplicemente perfette!Il palazzo, ristrutturato in ogni dettaglio, ben rappresenta il buon gusto del proprietario Andrea, che ci ha accolto con la moglie con grande simpatia(nonostante il nostro aereo fosse arrivato con oltre 2 ore di ritardo) e con un gustoso cesto ricco di prelibatezze tipiche del luogo. Ogni ambiente della casa è stato ben studiato per offrire agli ospiti la grande privacy ed il vero relax. I ragazzi si son divertiti molto in piscina, sempre ben pulita come tutta la casa, ed io e mio marito abbiamo apprezzato molto sia gli ampi e lumisosi spazi (dal living con camino, all'attrezzata cucina) che le guide-libri presenti in casa,che ci hanno permesso di scoprire ristorantini tipici, negozi di artigianato locale e tanto altro. Consiglierei questa struttura a tutti coloro che desiderano trascorrere una vacanza con ogni comfort, dove l'unica vera pecca è dover poi tornare a casa... ma tanto noi l'abbiam già prenotata per le prossime vacanze! Un ringraziamento speciale ad Andrea e sua moglie che, con i preziosi suggerimenti per i luoghi da visitare e la puntuale cortesia, hanno reso il nostro soggiorno indimenticabile.

My family and I had a wonderful stay at this historic property! Even before we arrived, Andrea was incredibly helpful with information about the area and answered all of my questions. He greeted us (my husband, 2 young children, and parents) upon arrival and showed us around the house. And, the house is beautiful, spacious, beautifully decorated and furnished, well equipped. The location was fabulous, as we could walk to many different restaurants, caffetteria, bakery and supermarkets. Near the house, there are several beautiful beaches within short driving distance. I would absolutely recommend this property to others looking to get a taste of one of Italy's finest regions; it was relaxing and beautiful and all that we had hoped for. Thank you!

The property is well setup and we didn't have any issues at all. The check-in time was 4pm, which was a little inconvenient given the early flight times from London Stansted, but that was our only real complaint. Maria was helpful, gave us information when we arrived and then was available on WhatsApp to answer further questions. Would strongly recommend "Crema & Cioccolato" for ice cream - your best bet is to drive, as the village is lacking in pavements.

Vi hade två fantastiska veckor i Palazzo Umberto. Huset räckte gott och väl till vår stora familj, 12 personer.I huset hade vi härliga gemensamma ytor såväl som möjlighet till avskildhet.Allt vi behövde av utrustning fanns i huset.Poggiardo är en trevlig levande stad med restauranger, barer och allt du kan behöva. Frukt- och grönsaksbutik, färskt bröd i bageriet och flera gelaterior finns alldeles inpå knuten. Varje onsdag kantas gatorna av marknadsstånd när den stora marknaden kommer på besök till staden.Fina badmöjligheter finns på cykel- och bilavstånd. Vi besökte nästan dagligen Castro (Miggiano) och den fantastiska badviken. Till de fantastiska stränderna kring Alimini tar det ca 40 min med bil, men absolut värt resan. Den närliggande staden Otranto är också värd ett besök.Beskrivningen av huset stämmer väl överens med verkligheten och vår värd Maria var hjälpsam och tillmötesgående samt lätt att få kontakt med.Anders och Katarina med familj

Vi hade två fantastiska veckor i Palazzo Umberto. Huset räckte gott och väl till vår stora familj, 12 personer. I huset hade vi härliga gemensamma ytor såväl som möjlighet till avskildhet. Allt vi behövde av utrustning fanns i huset. Poggiardo är en trevlig levande stad med restauranger, barer och allt du kan behöva. Frukt- och grönsaksbutik, färskt bröd i bageriet och flera "gelaterior" finns alldeles inpå knuten. Varje onsdag kantas gatorna av marknadsstånd när den stora marknaden kommer på besök till staden. Fina badmöjligheter finns på cykel- och bilavstånd. Vi besökte nästan dagligen Castro (Miggiano) och den fantastiska badviken. Till de fantastiska stränderna kring Alimini tar det ca 40 min med bil, men absolut värt resan. Den närliggande staden Otranto är också värd ett besök. Beskrivningen av huset stämmer väl överens med verkligheten och vår värd Maria var hjälpsam och tillmötesgående samt lätt att få kontakt med. Anders och Katarina med familj

We've been to Apulia a few times. This time my husband asked if there might be a place with a pool and be located where he didn't have to drive much. I searched for many hours and thought this historic mansion in Poggiardo would work, even though there was just the two of us. The listing descriptions were accurate but we found the reality even better than the pictures! Palazzo Umberto is immaculate and well maintained, inside and out! The owner was so kind and helpful and we found the information she provided about the area a great resource. We tried 3 restaurants that were easily walkable from the palace including one restaurant that is a slow food restaurant practically right out the door. All our meals were exceptional and reasonable. A well equipped grocery store was an easy walk, too. The medieval streets and the newer part of the city were interesting to explore. On Wednesday there was a street market with everything from food to shoes to furniture. We did venture out with gps and had some excellent adventures including visiting a winery, having a delicious seafood lunch in the nearby town of Castro, and we also drove south to put our toes in the water where the Adriatic and Ionian Seas meet. Palazzo Umberto is an incredible value for what it offers! Before we even left we were asking Andrew about availability. We usually like to visit new places when we go on holiday but we enjoyed our stay so much, we are going back in September!

Our family, which included 7 adults and 2 children, recently had the pleasure to spend three weeks at Palace Umberto in beautiful Poggiardo, Italy. The villa met and exceeded our expectations. There were more than enough bedrooms to accommodate our group with most being ensuite. Once we entered through the front door, it was like we were in another world. The courtyard is lovely and very private with several lemon and orange trees which add to the ambiance. The patio is large enough for relaxing or having a siesta and pool is great for cooling off in the warm afternoons. Poggiardo is a quaint medieval village which is located in an area of many small to medium sized medieval villages all easily accessed by bicycle within 30 to 40 minutes, or 10 to 30 minutes by car, from Poggiardo. There are several restaurants in close proximity to Ty villa which offer excellent Italian fare and the people are very friendly and helpful. There are a number of bistros where you can get your morning cappuccino or espresso and a fresh pastry. Maria and Andrea, our hosts, were very warm and welcoming and went out if their way to make our stay as enjoyable as possible. Maria was very helpful in letting us know the places of interest (of which there are many) to visit in the surrounding area. Many thanks to Rosa, our chef who came to the villa on two occasions to prepare authentic Puglia fare. The dinners were plentiful and delicious. We had a wonderful time and were sad to leave when our time at Palace Umberto was over. If you are looking for a piece of "La Dolce Vita", we would not hesitate to recommend Palace Umberto.

Our family, which included 7 adults and 2 children, recently had the pleasure to spend three weeks at Palace Umberto in beautiful Poggiardo, Italy. The villa met and exceeded our expectations. There were more than enough bedrooms to accommodate our group with most being ensuite. Once we entered through the front door, it was like we were in another world. The courtyard is lovely and very private with several lemon and orange trees which add to the ambiance. The patio is large enough for relaxing or having a siesta and pool is great for cooling off in the warm afternoons.Poggiardo is a quaint medieval village which is located in an area of many small to medium sized medieval villages all easily accessed by bicycle within 30 to 40 minutes, or 10 to 30 minutes by car, from Poggiardo. There are several restaurants in close proximity to Ty villa which offer excellent Italian fare and the people are very friendly and helpful. There are a number of bistros where you can get your morning cappuccino or espresso and a fresh pastry.Maria and Andrea, our hosts, were very warm and welcoming and went out if their way to make our stay as enjoyable as possible. Maria was very helpful in letting us know the places of interest (of which there are many) to visit in the surrounding area. Many thanks to Rosa, our chef who came to the villa on two occasions to prepare authentic Puglia fare. The dinners were plentiful and delicious. We had a wonderful time and were sad to leave when our time at Palace Umberto was over. If you are looking for a piece of La Dolce Vita, we would not hesitate to recommend Palace Umberto.

Das gepflegte Haus mit einladender Poollandschaft ist wunderbar, inklusive Möglichkeit zur Beschallung. Es hat uns sehr gefallen im Palazzo Umberto. Alles war wie beschrieben und hat unsere Erwartungen übertroffen! Mille grazie!

We loved this place.The house is like a small castle with modern amenities.The charming atmosphere of Italy is all through it.The decor is tasteful and professional. We were six adults and we could enjoy our own privacy or gather together in the central spaces and be quite comfortable.We loved the setting in the town of Poggiardo, it has everything you need.There were a choice of grocery shops within walking distance, there was the best pastry shop just around the corner.There were fresh bread shops and Coffee bars, and meat markets and fresh cheese shops all very close with delightful personnel to help you. The tourist center in our piazza was most helpful and dependable.Thank you Fabio for going tge extra mile for us.The regular Wednesday Market was a wonderful added bonus for us.We loved it! The people of the town were generous and helpful and treated us with every kindness.Maria and Andrea provided us with four bikes to ride around the town and countryside which we enjoyed doing often. We used the pool area for three sunny weeks in October.Towards November it got a little chilly, but overall we were thrilled with the weather. The sites to see in Southern Italy are beautiful, plentiful and easily reached from Poggiardo.The Adriatic Coast drive is spectacular and compares easily with the Amalfi coast.Lecce is a must see and is clise by car or train. Our memories of this holiday will delight us for a long time to come.

We loved this place.The house is like a small castle with modern amenities.The charming atmosphere of Italy is all through it.The decor is tasteful and professional. We were six adults and we could enjoy our own privacy or gather together in the central spaces and be quite comfortable. We loved the setting in the town of Poggiardo, it has everything you need.There were a choice of grocery shops within walking distance, there was the best pastry shop just around the corner.There were fresh bread shops and Coffee bars, and meat markets and fresh cheese shops all very close with delightful personnel to help you. The tourist center in our piazza was most helpful and dependable.Thank you Fabio for going tge extra mile for us.The regular Wednesday Market was a wonderful added bonus for us.We loved it! The people of the town were generous and helpful and treated us with every kindness.Maria and Andrea provided us with four bikes to ride around the town and countryside which we enjoyed doing often. We used the pool area for three sunny weeks in October.Towards November it got a little chilly, but overall we were thrilled with the weather. The sites to see in Southern Italy are beautiful, plentiful and easily reached from Poggiardo.The Adriatic Coast drive is spectacular and compares easily with the Amalfi coast.Lecce is a must see and is clise by car or train. Our memories of this holiday will delight us for a long time to come.

Ten of us stayed at Palazzo Umberto the last week of April/first week of May. We found it to be as advertised -- a centrally located place for the 10 of us to spend a quiet week in southern Salento, and comfortable enough for us to enjoy in the evenings relaxing on the terrace or sitting by the pool. The pictures on the website are fair but do not do it justice; it was much larger than I had anticipated. We were there in late spring, and because of the ever-changing spring weather, we were able to avail ourselves of all the features of the property, from sunbathing for a few hours some days, to sitting around the fireplace on a cold and wet evening, or biking in the countryside. The five double bedrooms are spread over three floors and so afforded privacy and quiet. The kitchen had everything I needed to cook a meal.The location is great, easy driving to Leuca, Gallipoli, Lecce, and Castro. Grocery shopping is just a few blocks away, Maria was very punctual and met us even before the time we had agreed to. There was some confusion about reservations for lunch, and Maria managed to entice the local restaurant just down the street to open just for our ten hungry and weary travelers. When she turned things over to Mariarosaria for us to go shopping and prepare supper and meet us for checkout inspection, Mariarosaria made every appointment on time. As an expat living in southern Europe and north Africa for several years, this was most welcome and appreciated. She and her mother cooked for my wife’s 50th birthday supper, and it was an exceptional meal. I highly recommend Palazzo Umberto.

Ten of us stayed at Palazzo Umberto the last week of April/first week of May. We found it to be as advertised -- a centrally located place for the 10 of us to spend a quiet week in southern Salento, and comfortable enough for us to enjoy in the evenings relaxing on the terrace or sitting by the pool. The pictures on the website are fair but do not do it justice; it was much larger than I had anticipated. We were there in late spring, and because of the ever-changing spring weather, we were able to avail ourselves of all the features of the property, from sunbathing for a few hours some days, to sitting around the fireplace on a cold and wet evening, or biking in the countryside. The five double bedrooms are spread over three floors and so afforded privacy and quiet. The kitchen had everything I needed to cook a meal. The location is great, easy driving to Leuca, Gallipoli, Lecce, and Castro. Grocery shopping is just a few blocks away, Maria was very punctual and met us even before the time we had agreed to. There was some confusion about reservations for lunch, and Maria managed to entice the local restaurant just down the street to open just for our ten hungry and weary travelers. When she turned things over to Mariarosaria for us to go shopping and prepare supper and meet us for checkout inspection, Mariarosaria made every appointment on time. As an expat living in southern Europe and north Africa for several years, this was most welcome and appreciated. She and her mother cooked for my wife’s 50th birthday supper, and it was an exceptional meal. I highly recommend Palazzo Umberto.

Our well-traveled family of five stayed in Poggiardo at Palazzo Umberto for six days earlier this month during a three week Italy adventure. We live in Los Angles, California but always enjoy traveling abroad with our kids when we can. Our "kids" are now ages 20, 22, and 23. Upon arrival, we were happily greeted by Maria who gave us a tour around her grand home. Needless to say, Umberto is even more beautiful in person than the photos depict! The house is spotless and is well equipped with everything to make any visitor's stay comfortable and enjoyable. While staying there, our family rented bicycles for several days to sightsee around the area. Traveling by bicycle was quite enjoyable for our group. It was a lovely way to visit the small towns surrounding Poggiardo. We especially enjoyed riding the bikes along the Adriatic Sea and eating lunch in Santa Cesera Terme. After each day's ride, we were happy to come home to a sparkling clean salt water pool to cool off. We spent several hours throughout the week in the garden seating areas enjoying wine with appetizers before heading into one of the many delicious restaurants for dinner in the neighborhood. You can't go wrong with any of the food establishments! All the restaurants prepare fresh food and are very generous with the portions they serve! The pastry and gelato shops in town are also quite fabulous! It was a good thing for us that we stayed active during the days because no one ever left much food on their plates! Each member of our family would love to return to Poggiardo and stay in Palazzo Umberto again. We cannot thank Maria and her husband, Andrea, enough for their wonderful hospitality and kindness to our family. Mille grazie! We hope to return someday soon!

Dear Maria We would like to thank you for your warm welcome and your hospitality, we spent excellent holidays. Your house is fabulous, just like the photos, ideall located in the village with a gorgeous decoration. I can only recommend this great adress with high standard quality services. A special thank to Mirella as well :-) All the best

My wife and I visited the beautiful Palazzo Umberto in Poggiardo in June, and we absolutely loved it! From the minute we arrived, when we received a warm welcome from Maria, and we were shown all the beautiful rooms and the gorgeous “secret” garden we knew we’d made the right choice. First the Palazzo – so grand and ornate, every room lovely to look around. There is a rooftop terrace over-looking the square with a lovely bathroom with a huge bath, a bedroom, sitting room and kitchen on the top floor. Then, down an ancient staircase you come to the main floor – a kitchen fitted out with everything you could possibly want, from a coffee maker, a dishwasher, crockery and cutlery - every mod-con you would need; a grand dining room, a grand sitting room with a balcony, again over-looking the square, 2 more lovely huge bathrooms, and 2 bedrooms with air-con…all leading out onto a terrace over-looking the garden equipped with a BBQ and large seating area – we sat and ate there every day soaking up the sun and the atmosphere. Then down to the ground floor – this is more open plan, with thick stone walls and gorgeous stone ceilings, lending a very cool feeling to this floor, despite the heat outside – it has air-con, of course, but you hardly needed it so effective was the stone-work. We based ourselves on this floor – it too had a fantastic shower-room, a further bathroom, a small kitchen, 2 bedrooms, dining area and sitting area – as the early morning swim was so much closer!! The “secret” courtyard garden also is lovely, with a fantastic swimming pool, numerous comfortable seats, various citrus trees and flowers everywhere. During ours stay we used the 2 bikes provided and explored the peaceful countryside. Poggiardo itself is quite a quiet, small town that comes to life on market Wednesdays – we became “locals’ popping to the supermarket daily to stock up on fresh produce for lunch, whilst in the evenings, wandering out to the local restaurants for gorgeous Italian meals. You can probably tell we loved our holiday here – the house, the town, the sea, the countryside, the food, the friendly people – wish we were there now, and hope to return soon! Maria and Andrea gave us a wonderful holiday in a wonderful house.

We spent the New Years week in the beautifull and warm house of Maria and Andrea in Poggiardo. A great winter stay in the historic center (on the main Piazza) with choice of bars, shops, hairdressers, ... within walking distance. The weather was great, sky steel-blue, sun shining every day (were we lucky or is this Puglia-winter?) and we spent several hours trying to get a tan on the rooftopterrace. The house is a spacious and beautiful old palazzo, restored in a refined way with perfect artcrafts-finishings. The palazzo offers all comfort, with several bathrooms, equiped kitchens, cupboards, classic and authentic furniture which suits perfectly to the style of the house ... It's a pleasure to find a place where as well the interior, the objects, the decoration, the chocolats and bottle, as the towels and the sheets, ... all meet the same standard of luxury in every single detail which is, believe me so rare... The recommandations for restaurants turned out to be delicious, and New Years-eve - we were kindly invited in the ground floor loft - was an unforgettable party. That loft as the rest of the building, has been beautifully restored,and has a great fireplace. The swimming pool and garden look very welcoming and quiet for warmer months... Thanks Maria and Andrea, hope we'll meet again soon.

Me and my friends visited Palazzo Perla Bianco at the end of the october 2012. Fortunately the weather was amazing – very warm at days and nights. Sun was shining and Adriatic sea was clear as expected and enough warm to go swimming. Although the high tourist season ended already at end of the september. South-Italy, where the Perla Bianco situated, is quite different then Middle- and North-Italy. It is clean and spacious, locals are friendly and there is enough amusements for days, evenings and nights. We enjoyd the Poggiardos local night life, fairs in multiple cityes, beaches, caves and architecture accross the province of Salento. This area is fantastic to have a vacation. Owner of Palazzo Perla Bianco, hostess Maria is beautiful and friendly woman. She is very helpfull if you need any kind of assistance. And the house...it is not just the house – it is a fairy-tale. This 400 year old villa looks discreet from outside, but as medieval castle inside and it is big enough to accommodate comfortably even a big coterie. The inner yard with little garden and pool, is the place so nice, that first days you dont want to go anywhere else. The villa is equipped with everything you need – TV, internet, multifunctional music player, and so on. I really hope to come back there some day, because one vacation is not enough to enjoy all what the villa and this area can afford to you.

We stayed in this absolutely lovely and fantastic vacation home at the end of Sept, beginning of Oct 2012 and the first word that comes to mind when I think about our time spent here is “perfect”. The very spacious palazzo is newly and completely restructured, beautifully and tastefully furnished, fully equipped in every small detail for living, dining, and enjoyment (including an in-ground swimming pool and free wi-fi internet connectivity) -- and above all, it’s immaculately clean !!! It’s perfect because the owners, Maria & Andrea, are extremely kind, helpful, and discrete – with lots of suggestions for interesting activities and places to eat which you won’t find on the usual tourist routes. It’s a perfect and central location from which to visit by car all the many spectacular sandy or rocky beaches (all with crystal clear emerald green water) and sites in the Salento area of Puglia. And for those times when you don’t feel like driving, it’s a maximum 2 minute walk from the palazzo to excellent restaurants, pizzerias, bars, bakeries (don’t miss the almond cookies !), supermarkets, newspaper stands, farmacies, and a bustling flea market in the center of town every Wednesday morning. Without a doubt, this is definitely the nicest vacation rental home that I have ever had the good fortune to experience and I really hope to be able to return here again sometime soon. I most highly recommend it to couples as well as families with children (pool has a folding safety gate to separate it from the rest of the garden area). Many many sincere thanks to Maria & Andrea for their kindness and warm hospitality.

We just got back to NYC from a lovely week in Apulia. It was our first time there and we loved everything about it: the landscapes, the architecture, the sea and our palazzo. We stayed in the historic center of Poggiardo, a little town right at the center of Salento (southern area of Apulia). The town has everything you need: lovely cafes, a great street market on Wednesday and stunning architecture. It was pretty easy to reach the beach during the day (5km away) or just spend a fun evening in Lecce (30km away) or Otranto (15km). The palazzo has everything you need: a fully equipped kitchen, a large living room and a great garden with a swimming pool. We had breakfast outside almost every morning. We highly recommend the local pastry called pasticciotti. If you are looking to have a relaxing and charming vacation, this is a great place to stay. Mike Gibson