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Villa Saetta is in the district of Le Cenate, in Nardò, in the province of Lecce. It was built in 1892 by the architect Carlo Luigi Arditi and commissioned by Lorenzo Saetta, who gave it his name.
The villa was actually erected on the remains of an ancient hunting lodge of 1700.

Today, this noble abode is also known as “La Cenata” and belongs to the De Michele family. It features a curvilinear façade, concave in front and convex behind, and two squared side wings, which house some large halls with exquisite barrelled ceilings; they also feature a hexagonal entrance, a consistently-shaped kitchen and a study, as well as a series of peculiar corridors now used as closets. The four bedrooms, each fitted with a bathroom and overlooking the garden, are, on the other hand, simpler and very large.

Outside, the typical Lecce stones are the main distinctive feature of the whole complex. The mullioned windows have some striking neo-Gothic decorations, while on the terrace and right above the entrance portal, there is a domed belvedere with a large mullioned window that never fails to catch the attention of the passers-by.

The building is surrounded by 5 acres of land, which include an Italian garden in front of the house, a fully functional organic garden at the back, an olive grove, a citrus grove, a pine forest, and some uncultivated areas.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)