An amazing find in the centre of a very special little town: beautiful high, fresco-covered ceilings, a majestic baroque facade, a grand winding staircase with a view out through arches to the bright blue Salento sky. A couple of minutes' walk from numerous splendid restaurants, churches, museums, cafes, bars and even a sheltered sandy beach. It was surrounded by beautiful, curious little winding streets, devoid of traffic but full of inhabitants coming and going, chatting at kitchen doorways, hanging out washing, fisherman sharing a drink together. Cristina gave us fantastic recommendations for everything we needed, from where to get the best ice-creams and local pastries to which beaches and coves to visit depending on which way the wind was blowing. A very kind host who provided us with some generous welcome-gifts upon our check-in, and even let us see another part of the palace while it was being cleaned. As a group of six recently-graduated students travelling together, we were very happy with our stay. Those staying in a similarly-sized group should note that some bedrooms are access points for other rooms or for the kitchen, so a bit less private, but this was not a problem for us. The kitchen was perhaps not the most practical, but was definitely adequate for cooking some big meals to eat-in on several nights. On the whole the apartment is plainly furnished, but the predominant impression is that of the marvellous historic palace in which it is situated. Visiting in late-September when the island was less busy, we thoroughly enjoyed exploring its labyrinthine layout, by chance witnessing the festivities for a saint's feast days, eating freshly-caught seafood down at the waterfront, and drinking cocktails in a bar on one of the island's bastion's, looking out over the sparkling clear and clean sea. A place that really exceeded our expectations!