Casa Cosima

Up the street from the Spongano’s historic Piazza Vittoria sits Casa Cosima. A beautiful spacious townhouse built at the end of the 19th Century. From the side alley one enters a timeless space of vaulted ceilings and stunning windows which open to the large back garden and pool. The back wall of the garden runs along a dead end street, and the garden is silent except for the chirping of the sparrows, swallows, and the occasional pica pica.

Casa Cosima was designed by two New York theatre and film designers to have all the comforts of modern living with the bones of an old Salento house. Originally six rooms of approximately 4.5 metres wide and 4 metres high, the two central rooms have been combined into one grand living/dining area that looks onto the garden from a magnificent arched window. Through an open arch, the kitchen also opens on to the garden/patio with a pergola protecting it from the midday sun. On each side of the central living area are the four other rooms: the kitchen, and three bedrooms.

The effect is light airy, and spacious. The house is painted all white with doors of a slightly darker hue. The master bedroom has its' own bath with a tub looking out to the garden, and the first guest bedroom has a double bed with a bathroom, and shower connected. The third bedroom has a large screen TV, and a fold out double sofa bed.

The kitchen is fitted with high end appliances including a dishwasher. Marble counters are perfect surfaces for cooks to work, and this kitchen has all the tools an adventurous cook might want. Full sets of beautiful hand-painted ceramic dishes fill the cabinet, along with all the pots and pans to make the best food. A laundry room connects to the kitchen, and in turn it connects with a large bathroom with a glassed-in shower unit.

The house is filled with beautiful objects and stunning lighting. The garden lights up at night with ground lamps giving it points of soft light illuminating the trees and path. Evenings were never more romantic.

The house being in the heart of Salento is the perfect location for visiting all the beautiful large and small towns, like Lecce, Maglie, La Specchia, and Santa Maria Leuca. The local swimming areas are found on each coast line, but the closest are: Acquaviva in Marittima, Castro Marina, Tricase Porto, Porto Badisco, Porto Miggiano, and Andrano Marina. The area is perfect for bike riding, walking, running, swimming, and visiting towns.

The people of Spongano are some of the nicest, most helpful in Italy. There are local food markets, and supermarket shopping as well. This is a perfect place to come relax, travel a bit, and enjoy the sun, and emerald crystal clear water.