Galatina, Apulia 73013

In the wonderful Galatina, a Baroque town in Salento between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, the Bersale Castle is for sale, facing the evocative small square of the historic center. The town sits in the heart of Salento, in the province of Lecce, on a gentle rise, and is a treasure chest of Gothic and Baroque churches, palaces, and historic courtyards. Founded in the 12th century, with one of the most beautiful churches in Italy, the Basilica of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria, one of the most distinguished Gothic monuments in Apulia, Galatina also fascinates with the beauty of Baroque architecture united with ancient traditions and the concept of slow living. Description The residence began as an ancient olive press built on one level and active since the 1500s, the result of a skilled renovation designed by French artists that has created a unique three-level dwelling. The ground, first, and second floors are connected by a stone Lecce spiral staircase that once led to the top of the tower dominating the façade. The rarity of this building lies in the presence of two panoramic terraces at the first and top floors and high ceilings that enhance the interior volumes. The total covered area is about 360 sq m with two living rooms, one at the ground floor entrance and one with a fireplace, four bedrooms each with its own bathroom, a study, a large kitchen with glass walls separating it from the living area, and two splendid terraces. Outdoor Spaces The first terrace of this ancient Lecce building is on the first floor, extending the living area toward the outside adjacent to the kitchen, creating a suggestive space of about 50 sq m where wonderful candlelit tables can be set, surrounded by stone architectures of the historic center and overlooking the square in front. The larger terrace, over 100 sq m, is located on the top floor and is accessed from a study room with a bathroom or a double bedroom. This terrace, which has a small pool and a solarium area, is furnished with a beautiful pergola and offers views of the typical Salento roofs in a succession of volumes and ancient stones. It lends itself to hosting wonderful terracotta pots with native plants, turning this outdoor space into a suggestive oasis on the rooftops of Galatina. State and Finishes The condition of this building is perfect both inside and out, having undergone a careful and meticulous restoration that enhanced its beauty and revived ancient decorations and stones. Modern materials were chosen to accompany the ancient walls and the marvelous vaulted ceilings. The two living rooms have lime-leaf stone barrel vaults exposed, flanked by white-plastered walls with touches of color that give modernity to the structure, suggesting the technological comfort that accompanies this ancient building. The kitchen and bathrooms follow contemporary design that blends well with the testimonies of the past. Resin floors inside, in continuity with the same color as the exterior Lecce stone, give a sense of linearity and cleanliness in the formal choices of the renovation. The external facades facing the square have plastered surfaces that sit alongside the exposed Lecce stone of the tower. Potential This is a wonderful architectural work of the past, a testament to the regions olive oil traditions, which today, thanks to its central yet strategic location, can serve as a holiday home in Salento year-round due to the mild regional climate or as a primary residence for one person, a couple, or a family. A strategic starting point to discover the historic and natural wonders of the Puglia region.