Vi hade två fantastiska veckor i Palazzo Umberto. Huset räckte gott och väl till vår stora familj, 12 personer.

I huset hade vi härliga gemensamma ytor såväl som möjlighet till avskildhet.

Allt vi behövde av utrustning fanns i huset.

Poggiardo är en trevlig levande stad med restauranger, barer och allt du kan behöva. Frukt- och grönsaksbutik, färskt bröd i bageriet och flera "gelaterior" finns alldeles inpå knuten. Varje onsdag kantas gatorna av marknadsstånd när den stora marknaden kommer på besök till staden.

Fina badmöjligheter finns på cykel- och bilavstånd. Vi besökte nästan dagligen Castro (Miggiano) och den fantastiska badviken. Till de fantastiska stränderna kring Alimini tar det ca 40 min med bil, men absolut värt resan. Den närliggande staden Otranto är också värd ett besök.

Beskrivningen av huset stämmer väl överens med verkligheten och vår värd Maria var hjälpsam och tillmötesgående samt lätt att få kontakt med.

Anders och Katarina med familj

Our family, which included 7 adults and 2 children, recently had the pleasure to spend three weeks at Palace Umberto in beautiful Poggiardo, Italy. The villa met and exceeded our expectations. There were more than enough bedrooms to accommodate our group with most being ensuite. Once we entered through the front door, it was like we were in another world. The courtyard is lovely and very private with several lemon and orange trees which add to the ambiance. The patio is large enough for relaxing or having a siesta and pool is great for cooling off in the warm afternoons.

Poggiardo is a quaint medieval village which is located in an area of many small to medium sized medieval villages all easily accessed by bicycle within 30 to 40 minutes, or 10 to 30 minutes by car, from Poggiardo. There are several restaurants in close proximity to Ty villa which offer excellent Italian fare and the people are very friendly and helpful. There are a number of bistros where you can get your morning cappuccino or espresso and a fresh pastry.

Maria and Andrea, our hosts, were very warm and welcoming and went out if their way to make our stay as enjoyable as possible. Maria was very helpful in letting us know the places of interest (of which there are many) to visit in the surrounding area. Many thanks to Rosa, our chef who came to the villa on two occasions to prepare authentic Puglia fare. The dinners were plentiful and delicious.

We had a wonderful time and were sad to leave when our time at Palace Umberto was over. If you are looking for a piece of "La Dolce Vita", we would not hesitate to recommend Palace Umberto.

We loved this place.The house is like a small castle with modern amenities.The charming atmosphere of Italy is all through it.The decor is tasteful and professional. We were six adults and we could enjoy our own privacy or gather together in the central spaces and be quite comfortable.

We loved the setting in the town of Poggiardo, it has everything you need.There were a choice of grocery shops within walking distance, there was the best pastry shop just around the corner.There were fresh bread shops and Coffee bars, and meat markets and fresh cheese shops all very close with delightful personnel to help you.

The tourist center in our piazza was most helpful and dependable.Thank you Fabio for going tge extra mile for us.The regular Wednesday Market was a wonderful added bonus for us.We loved it!

The people of the town were generous and helpful and treated us with every kindness.Maria and Andrea provided us with four bikes to ride around the town and countryside which we enjoyed doing often.

We used the pool area for three sunny weeks in October.Towards November it got a little chilly, but overall we were thrilled with the weather.

The sites to see in Southern Italy are beautiful, plentiful and easily reached from Poggiardo.The Adriatic Coast drive is spectacular and compares easily with the Amalfi coast.Lecce is a must see and is clise by car or train.

Our memories of this holiday will delight us for a long time to come.

Ten of us stayed at Palazzo Umberto the last week of April/first week of May. We found it to be as advertised -- a centrally located place for the 10 of us to spend a quiet week in southern Salento, and comfortable enough for us to enjoy in the evenings relaxing on the terrace or sitting by the pool. The pictures on the website are fair but do not do it justice; it was much larger than I had anticipated. We were there in late spring, and because of the ever-changing spring weather, we were able to avail ourselves of all the features of the property, from sunbathing for a few hours some days, to sitting around the fireplace on a cold and wet evening, or biking in the countryside. The five double bedrooms are spread over three floors and so afforded privacy and quiet. The kitchen had everything I needed to cook a meal.

The location is great, easy driving to Leuca, Gallipoli, Lecce, and Castro. Grocery shopping is just a few blocks away,

Maria was very punctual and met us even before the time we had agreed to. There was some confusion about reservations for lunch, and Maria managed to entice the local restaurant just down the street to open just for our ten hungry and weary travelers. When she turned things over to Mariarosaria for us to go shopping and prepare supper and meet us for checkout inspection, Mariarosaria made every appointment on time. As an expat living in southern Europe and north Africa for several years, this was most welcome and appreciated. She and her mother cooked for my wife’s 50th birthday supper, and it was an exceptional meal. I highly recommend Palazzo Umberto.

Our well-traveled family of five stayed in Poggiardo at Palazzo Umberto for six days earlier this month during a three week Italy adventure. We live in Los Angles, California but always enjoy traveling abroad with our kids when we can. Our "kids" are now ages 20, 22, and 23. Upon arrival, we were happily greeted by Maria who gave us a tour around her grand home. Needless to say, Umberto is even more beautiful in person than the photos depict! The house is spotless and is well equipped with everything to make any visitor's stay comfortable and enjoyable. While staying there, our family rented bicycles for several days to sightsee around the area. Traveling by bicycle was quite enjoyable for our group. It was a lovely way to visit the small towns surrounding Poggiardo. We especially enjoyed riding the bikes along the Adriatic Sea and eating lunch in Santa Cesera Terme. After each day's ride, we were happy to come home to a sparkling clean salt water pool to cool off. We spent several hours throughout the week in the garden seating areas enjoying wine with appetizers before heading into one of the many delicious restaurants for dinner in the neighborhood. You can't go wrong with any of the food establishments! All the restaurants prepare fresh food and are very generous with the portions they serve! The pastry and gelato shops in town are also quite fabulous! It was a good thing for us that we stayed active during the days because no one ever left much food on their plates! Each member of our family would love to return to Poggiardo and stay in Palazzo Umberto again. We cannot thank Maria and her husband, Andrea, enough for their wonderful hospitality and kindness to our family. Mille grazie! We hope to return someday soon!