Palazzo Giustiniani 10

This beautiful Palazzo is in the centre of the small historic town of Sogliano Cavour in the Salento region, and faces the village church in the main square.

The entrance is from the main square, through a large doorway surrounded by intricate baroque carvings, reminiscent of Andalusia. Unusually, the 'piano nobile' is only raised by a half-floor from the ground level; the lower part of the building is a sunken cellar that provides a source of cool air to flow through the house, providing natural air-conditioning.

The entrance is into a wide hallway, from here half a flight of stairs takes you into the first lounge, a vaulted room with a tall window onto the square. Ahead from this room you'll find an enormous living room with an even taller vaulted ceiling, four large sofas and a drinks cabinet. This is where most people congregate if not outside in the courtyard - it's always cool, has two windows onto the square and is made for chatting and relaxing.

Turning left from the main entrance will take you into a vaulted room that can be used as a bedroom if need be, but is a through room. Beyond that there is a double bedroom, while the dining room is on the right, with a large round table in the centre. French doors open out onto one of the internal courts, an ideal space for al-fresco meals.

There is a further bedroom off the dining room and at the back of this bedroom a secret stairway takes you to a bedroom under the ceiling vault.

Back in the dining room, turning left you'll find a well-equipped kitchen, with dishwasher, induction hob, oven and large fridge freezer, perfect for trying your hand at Italian cooking - or you can ask the Palazzo's excellent cook to cook for you. Turning right takes you into one of the many intricacies of this house, a narrow worn staircase carved out of the thickness of the wall. This leads up to a bathroom, a vaulted bedroom on the right and, on the left, to a large double with ensuite bathroom.

Beyond it there is a room and french doors onto a large roof Terrace. A further flight of stairs will take you out onto even more roof terraces, showing the humps from the vaults below.

Back in the dining room another door (this old palace is labyrinthine!) opens into a corridor/bathroom. On the right there is a shower with a beautiful carved stone window. To the left, under the stairs, a wc, and at the end of the corridor, a magnificent room with a giant stone bath.

The main courtyard is an intimate and lovely place where you can listen to music and enjoy a refreshing cocktail while in the company of friends and family, relaxing on the outdoor sofas. The pool is in yet a further part of the internal courtyard, partially shaded by a large old tree. There is also a small loggia equipped with a shower area and a bathroom,