Martino's home was one of the best and most unique Airbnb stays I have experienced.
The Area:
The apartment is located in the centro storico (Old Town) of Martina Franca, surrounded by many charming historic homes that are occupied by locals. The apartment is only a 2 minute walk from the exit out of the Old Town, and a 2 minute walk from the main piazza, where there are restaurants, stores, a tobacco shop, a brewery, and a meat shop. There is a convenience store right around the corner, which carries many basic household items and a pretty good variety of food items. (Pro tip: If you open the window in the bathroom, you can actually see into the convenience store to see if it is open!) We were there almost every day to refresh our beverages, pastas, and local salumi (do try their capocollo!). The closest supermarket is about 6 minutes on foot and the Martina Franca train station is about 10 minutes away on foot. It is safe to go out at night, and this is when you will see many of the locals on their passeggiata, an opportunity for them to dress up and socialize.
The Apartment:
The apartment itself is darling, and simply one of the best Airbnb apartments I've ever booked. The apartment is sparkling clean and there are so many lovely personal touches that contribute to the beautiful decor and make the apartment feel precious and well-styled. The front door opens up to a staircase that leads to the second level of the building, where the bed, bathroom, living space, and terrace are situated (all were super clean). There are stairs leading up to the third level of the building, where the kitchen and dining room were. The kitchen had all the tools we needed to cook (except a chef's knife), and Martino even provided a few welcome snacks/beverages. The fridge and counter are quite small, but was sufficient for the two of us. There are more stairs leading up to the rooftop terrace, which was great. It has a table, a bench, and two lawn-style chairs for lounging.
General notes:
The windows and doors (except the one leading to the terrace) in this apartment have screens, which is awesome because we were able to keep them open while we were home without worrying about bugs coming in. There are a lot of stairs, so this apartment wouldn't be great for someone who doesn't like climbing stairs. Also, there are no closets in this Airbnb, so we had to live out of our suitcase for the week, but we didn't mind this because we enjoyed the apartment so much.
Thank you, Martino, for the lovely stay!!