This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page It’s a proper castle, complete with turrets and swaying palms, set in a fragrant garden with a large pool and killer old-meets-new interiors A mere 15-min drive from Lecce, Puglia’s "Florence of the South" the castellated rooftop of Castle Elvira looms into view As the aroma of wild herbs and orange blossoms fills the air we crunch up a cypress-lined drive to the imposing front door of this century-old folly He walks us through the soaring fresco-ceilinged lounge with its cool geometric-tiled floors and covetable contemporary and vintage furniture including a stunning inlaid Beckstein grand piano something hi-tech and something personal,” he chirps gifting it to their only child Elvira (their princess) when she came of age Elvira cooked up a feast using ingredients foraged from the grounds tragically dying after eating a poisonous mushroom But the couple has put a positive spin on the tale stressing that the castle was built from love and that they plan to live out Elvira’s princess fantasy After two nights we can report no ghostly murmurings attracting joggers far and wide along a route that runs right next to the castle And while the nearby agricultural towns of Squinzano and Trepuzzi aren’t worth a look the castle is only a 20-minute drive from beautiful genetically-gifted general manager Giacomo Attanasio will see to your every need – and some he plays the piano and can often be found tinkling the ivories of an evening and they strike just the right balance between friendly and helpful Just WhatsApp the team and they’ll deliver Want something with more kick and an umbrella in it Cue the mobile cocktail bar in a converted Italian Piaggio Ape Brown and Riseley are reviving the 150-tree citrus orchard and they’ve spent £10,000 trying to save some of the estate’s 400 olive trees suffering from a blight that has hit the whole region for the large refillable in-room toiletries from luxe fragrance brand Ortigia Sicilia PugliaMark CocksedgeAccessibility for those with mobile impairments Castle Elvira has elevator access on all levels of the main residence and offers specially appointed rooms for those with mobility impairments Book one of Castle Elvira’s Experiences – we learned how to make orecchiette pasta with chef Fabiana who taught us how to flick our wrists to make the region’s famous pasta shape Then blow £10,000 on Brown’s Adored & Adorned Portrait Experience Castle Elvira laid abandoned for more than one hundred years until it underwent a spectacular 4-year restoration Entrepreneur couple Steven Riseley and artist and husband Harvey B-Brown have poured their hearts and souls into every inch of this historic monument Castle Elvira has been hailed by ‘Tatler travel’ as one of the ‘top 101 hotels in the world’ and proclaimed as one of ‘Vogue’s’ ‘top 5 hotels in Puglia’ Castle Elvira has stunned an international audience where there are no boundaries and no limits Read our full spotlight on piece here You have a strong background in the hospitality industry how does Castle Elvira compare to your past experiences and the objective was to fit honestly into the boutique hotel market I believe that we have achieved that both aesthetically and operationally Castle Elvira is a dramatic move away from my previous experience What was the key attraction that drove you to take on such an immense project and I knew that it was a project I could not walk away from yearned to put my whole being into one final project a project that would challenge me more than ever before Castle Elvira was destined to be and is my legacy The castle has an enchanting fairy-tale backstory – please tell us more and if / how this has been incorporated into refurbishment project Castle Elvira is an exact copy of Castle Scarpetta in Naples Castle Elvira was built by a wealthy entrepreneur also from Naples; it was to be his family’s summer home The legend is that when Castle Elvira was completed the owner came to stay that first summer with his wife and his biggest love it’s said that he built the castle for Elvira Elvira tragically died in the castle that summer and her father and mother left the castle fully furnished Elvira would be delighted to see the positive energy and passion poured into her castle and see it so lovingly restored to its original magnificence You and your team have been working with master artisans (since 2018!!) to lovingly restore the castle and its original features Please tell us more about the artisans you are working with and the journey to completion Puglia is a more traditional and unspoiled region that has a unique history There is a wealth of historically significant buildings and monuments here they exhibit many ancient architectural styles Many artisan trades still thrive here because of that and I believe their work is unparalleled compared to most other regions From stone masonry to hand forged iron works it is still possible to achieve quality authentic restorations here in Puglia We were lucky to work with some of Puglia’s best restoration teams and the results of their work speak volumes Art and design are key features at Castle Elvira please tell us why this is so important and how it is showcased throughout the estate and castle is an artist and an award-winning filmmaker Harvey collaborates with his London-based artist partner ‘Adored and Adorned,’ is mainly mixed media portraiture They have been commissioned by many high-profile celebrities Many of Harvey’s and David’s works as well as many other international artists’ works are hung in the suites and salon’s and all art can be purchased and one of our in-house guest experiences is a life drawing class hosted by Harvey This has proven to be our most popular and successful experience Guests participating in these classes have been profoundly moved; many have told us it was an emotionally stimulating experience Castle Elvira will open its doors to welcome guests once more in April – do you have any exciting plans for the reopening Castle Elvira will open its heart and doors again in April and we are very excited to welcome our old and new guests for our second summer season We have been busy this winter making many improvements to make our guests stay more luxurious and comfortable Our in-house art boutique will incorporate many new artists’ pieces this year We made contact with many other artists during the winter and we will be showing and selling their work this year What can guests expect from their experience at Castle Elvira our guests can expect the highest standards of service and care but our policy is not to make our guests feel harassed; our team is efficient without being overbearing and guests can simply message from anywhere on the estate and request anything they need which will be delivered to them immediately Our in-house restaurant is open daily for breakfast We serve authentic ‘Cucina Salentina’ Italian cuisine using all fresh and locally sourced seasonal produce and every week we light the traditional olive wood burning pizza oven and host a special pizza evening with live traditional Italian music The castle rooftop cocktail bar is open daily for sunset drinks; our mixologists make all cocktails or mocktails to order listen to the specially mixed ambient music With our varied list of in-house and external experiences which our concierge will arrange for the guests And any top tips for guests to gain the most from their stay If I had any advice to give our future guests it would be to come here with an open mind and try to forget your past hotel experiences expect the high standards of service that most 5-star hotels offer You will feel and taste and understand the high quality in everything we do and produce here but don’t be surprised when you bump into the owners and they invite you for a sunset drink or one of the staff decides to deliver a surprise glass of prosecco to you at the pool We will offer everything you can find at another luxury hotel we do not employ robots; everybody here is organic with a big beating heart Luxury is highly subjective – what does it mean to you Luxury can be defined in many ways by different people Our aim at Castle Elvira is to encourage guests to do what they want and when they want to do it we will facilitate everything and anything they need booking local tours or wine tours; the list is endless Or simply to take the best care of them when they are on the estate always with a high standard of service and care What is your life motto (if you have one?) The shock of the covid pandemic and the severe restrictions it imposed on the world made us realise that we take too much for granted the things we enjoyed doing were suddenly taken away My life motto has to be: “Life is not a rehearsal; the time to act is now.” Castle Elvira lends itself perfectly to a celebratory gathering as well as to romantic getaways for couples and enriching experiences for groups of friends Rates for a double room with breakfast start at €499 per night with rates for Castle and Cottage exclusive hire for 12 people starting from €2,500 per week Read our full spotlight on piece here Website: www.castleelvira.comAddress: Via Andrano, 73019 Trepuzzi LE, Italy Ross is one of the co-founders of The Luxury Editor