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Patria Palace Hotel Lecce
Lecce, Italy · Independent · Core Luxury
Mauro Manieri, the great hand of Leccese baroque, built this palace in the eighteenth century for the Petrarolo D'Anna marquises and set it across a small square from the Basilica di Santa Croce, the most worked facade in the city. The house became an orphanage, then in 1850 the city's first inn, taking the name Locanda Patria in the patriotic mood of the Risorgimento. It turned five-star in 1997, the first in Puglia, and joined Leading Hotels of the World in 2025. Fifty-eight rooms; the Sira rooftop puts Santa Croce close enough to read.
- 58 rooms
- Opened 1997
- Neighborhood: Centro storico
- Rooms from 258 sq ft (24 m²)
- Architect: Mauro Manieri
About Patria Palace Hotel Lecce
- The Petrarolo D'Anna family descended from the humanist poet Jacopo Sannazaro, and three D'Anna women appear in Boccaccio's early poem La caccia di Diana.
- The Terrace Suite comes with an eighty square metre private terrace and its own pool looking over the Basilica di Santa Croce.
- Between June and September the hotel runs a shuttle to its partner beach club on the Adriatic coast.
- Entry-level rooms start at 258 sq ft (24 m²).
History
The palace was built in the eighteenth century by Mauro Manieri, one of the masters of Leccese baroque, as the residence of the Petrarolo D'Anna family, marquises from an illustrious Neapolitan line. They claimed descent from the humanist poet Jacopo Sannazaro and took an active part in the intellectual life of the Kingdom of Naples; three women of the D'Anna family are named in Boccaccio's early poem La caccia di Diana. By the late eighteenth century the family had settled in Lecce.
Hospitality has run through the building almost continuously. After its aristocratic years it served as an orphanage, and in 1850, under the family of the engineer Giacomo Gridi, it opened as the first inn in Lecce for travellers, called the Locanda Patria, homeland, in the patriotic atmosphere of the Risorgimento. In 1997 it became the first five-star hotel in Puglia. Under the De Gennaro family the palace was recently restored again, with a contemporary layer added over the preserved baroque and Art Nouveau work: coffered wooden ceilings, stained glass, frescoes, marble floors and carved Lecce stone. There are 58 rooms and suites, many facing Santa Croce, among them the Santa Croce Suite, a Junior Suite with a double view of the basilica, and a Terrace Suite with an eighty square metre terrace and private pool. Atenze is the gourmet restaurant, Sira the rooftop bar. In February 2025 the hotel joined The Leading Hotels of the World.
The setting
The hotel opens onto Piazzetta Riccardi, a small square in the heart of Lecce's centro storico, directly facing the Basilica di Santa Croce, the city's most elaborate piece of baroque stonework and the reason Lecce is called the Florence of the South. Being one square off the Duomo keeps the crowds at a slight distance. The historic centre is compact and flat, easy to walk, full of shops and cafes where the local order is a caffe leccese, iced espresso with almond syrup. Between June and September a hotel shuttle runs out to a partner beach club on the Adriatic.
Restaurants and bars
- Atenze — Restaurant · Innovative cuisine, local ingredients and contemporary inspi · Chef Cristiano Stamerra (Executive Chef)
- Sira — Restaurant
Experiences
- Idume SPA — Spa inspired by Idume, a legendary hidden river flowing beneath Lecce; rituals of gestures guide the body toward renewed wellbeing.
- Atenze restaurant — Gourmet restaurant in Lecce's historic centre with innovative cuisine by Executive Chef Cristiano Stamerra and tasting experiences dedicated to Lecce.
- Sira rooftop bar — Rooftop bar serving drinks and aperitifs with a view of the Basilica of Santa Croce; open on summer evenings.
- Fitness Room — Private fitness room open 24 hours with Technogym equipment; personal trainer consultations available by appointment.
Amenities
- Private garage with valet service (EUR 35 per day)
- Laundry and ironing service upon reservation
- Safe deposit boxes in each room and additional boxes at reception
- Marble bathrooms
- Walk-in showers
- Lounge areas in several suites
- Pet-friendly
- EV charging
Awards
- MICHELIN One Key (2026)
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