Dimora Storica Muratore

We had a wonderful stay. The room was comfortable and private, and we especially enjoyed the beautiful garden and pool area, perfect for relaxing. The central location is excellent and makes it very easy to explore the area on foot. Breakfast was excellent , with fresh fruits and savory option, and the warm and friendly welcome made us feel at home from the moment we arrived. Highly recommended!

Everything was great!

The property is totally wonderful and I would highly recommend. The pool and gardens are just gorgeous and you are treated as if you are family from the moment you arrive. If you are looking to stay in Lecce you MUST stay here

Nothing everything was perfect

Dimora Storica Muratore is in an historic villa right on the city wall of the old town. There's guarded parking right across the street from the back door, we left the car there for three days, no problem. Our room was on the ground floor, with two comfortable twin beds. The huge glass door to our private patio let in plenty of light, and the air conditioning worked beautifully. Breakfast was served just outside our door in the foyer, an opulent buffet of local specialties with coffee made to order. Home-made liqueurs and water were available throughout the day and there was coffee- and tea-making equipment in our room. Stefania, who was in charge of the buffet, and the manager, Milena (?), went out of their way to make us feel welcome and provided lots of info about Lecce. We even met the owners of the villa and got to tour part of their private apartments upstairs, including their fascinating art collection! The gardens are lush and include a small but lovely swimming pool. As there are only four guest rooms, you feel like you're there on your own most of the time. Door codes make it easy to let yourself in and out of the building and the gate which puts you in easy walking distance of the historic center's sights, shops and dining. We spent one day exploring the Roman amphitheater and theater and the vast collections of the archaeological museum, another visiting the cathedral (don't miss the crypt) and other Baroque landmarks, particularly Santa Croce, and the third in the city museum and doing some concentrated early holiday shopping. I can highly recommend Doppiozero, a farm-to-table restaurant near the Duomo/cathedral with a drinks menu worth exploring, and Gusto Liberrima. Both have plenty of outdoor seating and the latter is right next to Libreria Liberrima, a bookstore with lots of English-language books on offer. As for shopping, don't miss Manufactus, a store full of beautiful, handmade leather goods and stationery!

Somehow, my phone number was not forwarded to the folks at DImora Storica Muratore, and the manager was unable to reach us on our arrival day. This worried her considerably; fortunately we arrived just as she was on the phone to Booking.com, trying to reach us! The street right up to the hotel was under construction and on our first approach we couldn't figure out how to get there with the car. As soon as we reached the hotel on foot, the manager briefed us on how to stash the car in the guarded parking on the other side of the building and bring our luggage in via the back door. From then on, everything ran absolutely smoothly. The bathroom in our room was on the small side, but ingenious tiers of shelves provided enough space for our toiletries and the shower was perfectly adequate. Lecce was the high point of our stay in Apulia and Dimora Storica Muratore was the key to our magical three days in this beautiful, sun-bathed city. (See my photo of the house and garden!)

We had such a special stay at Dimora Storica Muratore** and spent seven wonderful days here while exploring Lecce and the surrounding area. The location is perfect—right in the heart of Lecce’s historic centre and an easy 5–10 minute stroll to restaurants, shops and all the main sights. Yet the beautiful palazzo is tucked away in such a quiet and peaceful location. Walking back at the end of a busy evening and leaving the bustle of the city behind was truly a blessing. Communication with Milena was excellent, even before we arrived. She responded quickly and patiently answered all of our questions. We were also able to reserve a parking spot for approximately €10 extra per day, literally just behind the property, which made having a car incredibly convenient. One of the things that makes this property so unique is that there are only **four guest rooms**, and the Muratore family lives on the first floor. They graciously open their beautiful family home to their guests, and during our week there, we truly felt welcomed like family. The pool was an absolute blessing, especially after a hot day of exploring Puglia. One afternoon we even shared the pool area with the family and had the pleasure of meeting the owners’ grandchildren. Maurizio, brought us taralli and coffee while we were relaxing by the pool and recommended a wonderful restaurant where we tried sea urchin pasta—one of those little experiences that made our stay so memorable. We also had the privilege of meeting Vittorio, Maurizio’s son, who graciously invited us into the family’s private living quarters and showed us their absolutely stunning home. Seeing the family throughout our stay and getting to know them a little made the experience feel so much more personal than staying in a typical hotel. Breakfast was another highlight. Stefania and Federica were so kind and even remembered our coffee orders each morning. We loved being able to enjoy breakfast on our own private patio.