Critabianca

It’s an unusually cosmopolitan story: set in Grecìa Salentina, an enclave of Greek descent in the tip of the heel of Puglia, Critabianca was established as a farmhouse in the 14th century, and then transformed into an aristocratic residence by a French nobleman during a period of 18th-century Bourbon rule. Today it’s a classic country-house hotel, and a perfect introduction to the charms of southern Italian life, convenient to the beaches and to towns like Gallipoli, Otranto, and Lecce.

In true country-house style it remains small; no outbuildings or cottages, just six bedrooms in the main house, each one leaving intact the historic architecture and floor plan, decorated in a near monochrome that’s soothing to the contemporary eye but which is anything but modern. Some feature distinctive vaulted ceilings, a detail that’s characteristic of Puglian construction; the Architect’s Suite is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the most stylish of the bunch.

Breakfast is served in the garden alongside an orange grove, with a light lunch available here or by the poolside. If you’re on site in the afternoon, an aperitivo is a must, and if you reserve in the morning there’ll be a table waiting for you at dinner as well.
Critabianca is open from May to October.