Relaxation amongst ancient olive trees

Driving south from Lecce along Provincial Road 1, after just 12 kilometres one arrives in Vernole, a municipality of great historical, cultural and environmental interest in the Salento region. Its large municipal area includes five well-populated villages and a stretch of Adriatic coastline encompassing the marinas of Torre Specchia and San Cataldo, as well as the Le Cesine nature reserve. Here, immersed in nature yet within the urban perimeter of Vernole, is the Bed and Breakfast La Corte di Edoardo. The property consists of just three apartments where every detail has been meticulously planned to ensure the maximum comfort and tranquillity for guests. The building’s layout extends longitudinally, a choice that was almost inevitable given the long, narrow rectangular shape of the site. The first architectural element guests encounter on arrival is the striking entrance hall with its star-shaped vaulted ceiling made of Lecce stone, a traditional material widely used in the Salento region due to its intrinsic beauty and workability. The choice of leaving the stone blocks unplastered allows visitors to admire the infinite colour tones and the unique construction technique that has been handed down over the centuries as part of an oral tradition. In contrast to the lobby, the rest of the building is distinguished by its discreet modernity, mitigated solely by certain stylistic references to the past in the furnishings. The architecture stands out for its formal simplicity, while ceramic tiles bring a touch of colour and continuity to all the rooms. Guests are greeted at the entrance by 45×45 cm porcelain floor tiles from Panaria Ceramica’s Ethos Vogue collection, which extend as far as the arcade running alongside the contemporary building and from there to the guest rooms and the garden. In the bathrooms, the sheer variety of decorations available for the Memory Mood porcelain tile collection from Panaria Ceramica meant that the designers were able to experiment with designs and colours and create intriguing classical settings revisited in a modern style. The 20×20 cm size tile in the colour Sheer shade was used on both the floors and walls interspersed with cement tile effect decorations 9 and 4, creating a look reminiscent of the wall tiles in vogue in the first half of the 20th century. The stylistically diverse yet comfortable rooms and the kitchen area were paved with parquet-effect porcelain tiles in a 20×121.5 cm size and Cinder colour from the CrossWood collection. For the outdoor area, the choice fell on 60×60 cm size tiles in the colour Concrete and with a Strutturato high slip resistance surface from the Urbanature collection. But the real highlight of the B&B La Corte di Edoardo is the neatly maintained and welcoming garden that the rooms look out onto. Here, guests can make use of a series of well-equipped relaxation, play and solarium areas set amongst the ancient olive trees and vegetation.