Caricamento...
The restoration
Every stone in its place
An abandoned historic palazzo, brought back to life with philological rigour and contemporary sensibility. Nothing was demolished. Everything was rediscovered.
The story
From abandonment to dwelling
This restored palazzo italy apartment began as a state of complete abandonment — a true apulian house whose soul had been buried under decades of neglect. Ancient vaults hidden under layers of modern plaster. Lecce stone floors covered over. Original structures concealed by past interventions that had erased its identity.
The choice was clear from the start: conservation restoration, not renovation. Every recoverable original element was preserved. Every new intervention was designed to serve the existing structure, not to replace it.
The vaults
Hidden beneath the plaster
The most extraordinary discovery. Beneath layers of modern plaster lay star vaults of rare beauty — an architectural typology that few palazzi in Salento still preserve. Bringing them to light was a work of patience and expertise.
Today the vaults are the dominant element of the spaces. Nothing needed to be added: it was enough to remove what was hiding them.
The materials
Stone, wood, iron. Nothing new.
The baroque architecture italy is known for — ornate fireplaces, sculpted stone lintels, wrought-iron gates — is present in every room. The ancient fireplace, the stone stairs, the solid wood doors: everything that could be recovered was restored and put back into use. The few new additions — the bathrooms, the kitchen, the utilities — were made with consistent materials by local artisans.
The carparo stone for the walls was cut from the same quarry that supplied stone to the original builders. The iron was forged in Collepasso. The wood crafted in a carpentry workshop in Parabita.
The exterior
The terrace rediscovered
The panoramic terrace — overlooking the Chiesa Madre and the rooftops of the historic centre — was inaccessible and in a state of decay.
Today it is the heart of the La Terrazza apartment: furnished with care, with an outdoor copper shower and a view that on clear days reaches the sea at Gallipoli.
The method
Conserve, don't transform
The project was led by INCIDE Engineering — an engineering and architecture firm founded by Gianluca — with one guiding principle: every intervention must serve the original structure, never the other way around.
Modern technologies are present but invisible: underfloor systems, LED lighting integrated into the stone stairs, silent air conditioning. Nothing that alters the perception of the historic space.
The result is not a renovated palazzo. It is a palazzo rediscovered — among the most genuine holiday apartments puglia has to offer, and a true authentic italian village stay: sleeping inside history, surrounded by the original stone.
The story
The Soul of Palazzetto Vico San Marco
We wanted to bring back to life the soul of Palazzetto Vico San Marco — its history, local traditions, the typical Salento materials — and restore it with the mastery of local artisans, who handcrafted every single piece you will find in the residences.
Stone and the mason
The few new walls we built to create the bathrooms the dwelling never had were made by a great, gentle man from Parabita, who still practises and knows a craft that few still want to do, and whom we thank for helping us respect this small architectural gem. With him we discovered the quarry where he wanted his carparo blocks cut — the blocks that form the exposed and hidden walls — to honour the tradition and the soul of Palazzetto Vico San Marco.
The Lecce stone floor
The Lecce stone floor of the "Le Volte Antiche" residence has a living and at the same time fragile soul, like the stone quarries from which it was extracted. You will find fragments of fossil shells embedded within the stone, shells that have "lived" inside it for millennia and tell us the incredible transformation of the earth. It is a "living" and at the same time "delicate" stone. You may find imperfections and signs of use, but we could not have you stay on a "perfect, but cold and anonymous, ceramic stoneware floor".
The Lecce stone sinks
The round bathroom sinks were carved from a single block of Lecce stone from a quarry managed by a special person, who still preserves this natural treasure and transforms stone into unique objects. You may find imperfections or stains from use — because it is stone — but we assure you of the absolute cleanliness and hygiene of these unique artefacts.
The Lecce stone lamps
The cylindrical bedroom lamps were also made by him in Lecce stone, and hand-assembled by the owner of Palazzetto Vico San Marco. If you would like to meet this "dusty and gentle man", call Host Chiara, who will arrange a visit to the quarry-museum.
The woodwork
The kitchens, wardrobes, and all woodwork — doors and windows — were produced in a carpentry workshop in Parabita, run by skilled artisans with whom we wanted to talk about this disappearing craft and who helped us restore the soul of "Palazzetto Vico San Marco". If you are curious to visit the workshop or want to create your own bespoke furniture, Host Chiara will put you in touch with the master carpenter.
The ironwork
The front door that creaks upon your arrival, the bent sheet-metal stairs, the mezzanine, and all the ironwork were forged by an artisan from Collepasso, following the designs of the architects and engineers who custom-designed every detail of the soul of Palazzetto Vico San Marco.
The blacksmith's work
The iron lanterns, the lamp on a Lecce stone and shell base, the towel rack, and the wall-mounted coat hooks were "bent" by a local artisan whom we discovered while exploring the territory and the people who still practise ancient crafts. If you want to visit the workshop and have your own bespoke object made, contact Host Chiara for a visit: you can spend a special day in a medieval Salento village.
The textiles
The textiles that welcome you during your stay at the Palazzetto were all made by a family-run local weaving mill, with whom we chose and customised the towels, bathrobes, percale sheets, the wonderful bedspreads in woven cotton and chenille, and every single fabric you find waiting for you. It is a magical place where you can choose fabrics, watch the embroiderers work, and bring to life a dream that will embrace you. Contact Host Chiara for a personal appointment at the mill — even just for a visit to another special Salento village.
Upholstery and mattresses
We discovered an excellence of this territory in the production of upholstery and mattresses, and with them we chose the best mattresses for your proper rest, and designed the futon sofa beds you will find in the "Le Volte" residence. If you are interested in discovering these excellences, Host Chiara can put you in touch with the factory to customise your own upholstery.
Salento ceramics
Unique pieces of local craftsmanship, handmade by expert hands that shape raw materials into objects that warm the soul of the Palazzetto. The vases you find in the Vico and on the rooftop terrace, the pine cones and the "Pumo Salentino" — an ancient symbol of prosperity, fertility, good fortune, and rebirth — are produced in a kiln just a few kilometres from Parabita. If you wish to discover these territorial excellences, contact Host Chiara, who will lead you on a wonderful tour of local craftsmanship.
See the result
Come and see for yourselves
Photographs tell only part of the story. To truly feel what it means to live in a restored historic palazzo, you have to experience it.