Ancient Palazzo Petrucci in the Province of Lecce- Trepuzzi

Ancient Palazzo Petrucci in the Province of Lecce, Trepuzzi,
a jewel of sixteenth-century architecture

Context
The Ancient Palazzo Petrucci, located in the historic center of Trepuzzi, is a jewel of sixteenth-century architecture. Built starting from the 16th century, the palace is situated in the old nucleus of the town, next to the Mother Church. Since 1998, it has been recognized as being of historical and artistic interest.

Exterior
The building, constructed in carparo stone, is divided into two sections: the older one, adjacent to the churchyard, has two levels, the upper of which is incomplete, uncovered, and adorned with sculptural decorations; the other section, to the right of the entrance portal, consists of two floors.
On the main façade, there is a rusticated portal with a full-centered arch, topped by the coat of arms of the Petrucci-Giugni family and enriched with brackets decorated with naturalistic motifs.
The coat of arms, carved in carparo, consists of a shield topped with two helmets with crests facing each other. On the left side of the shield is an eagle with a crowned head holding a stone in its talons (symbolizing the family name). On the right side there are three goat legs.
To the left of the entrance portal are a window and a French door, both topped with mixtilinear pediments with volutes. On the first floor there is a loggia with a stone balustrade supported by carved brackets.

Interior and Courtyard
The palace essentially consists of three parts:
1. The central body, the most valuable and representative section, featuring a garden-citrus grove in the inner courtyard.
2. On the façade side, a series of ground-floor rooms and upper-floor rooms, plus basements (the former stables, storage rooms, and coach houses).
3. A group of rooms accessible only from the side street, built at a later time.
From Corso Umberto, one enters through the main gate into an entrance hall, which leads to both the main doorway of the house and a pair of lateral storage rooms.
From the internal entrance of the palace, you access the house and the inner courtyard (the citrus grove).
The internal layout includes an entrance-living area with a salon–gallery. Moving counterclockwise from the right, you reach a library, a bedroom, a habitable kitchen with pantry, five adjoining rooms, hallways, and service areas. From the central courtyard—characterized by a charming citrus grove—one can access another section of the building, currently owned by a different proprietor.

The Garden Courtyard
Inside the garden courtyard is a citrus grove of remarkable beauty, a defining feature of this important small palazzo.

Architecture
Built from the 16th century onward, the palace is located in the ancient nucleus of the town, next to the Mother Church. The carparo structure consists of two bodies. On the main façade, a rusticated portal with a full-centered arch is surmounted by the Petrucci-Giugni family crest and enriched with brackets decorated with naturalistic motifs. On the first floor, a loggia with a stone balustrade rests on carved brackets.
The interior features various rooms, among which one stands out: part of the original core of the building, covered by a barrel vault with lunettes, decorated corbels, and a door whose architrave bears a cartouche with the inscription:
DOMVS FREQVENTATA DVLCESCIT / ET MALE CONTINVATA / TAEDIVM PARIT / 1601
(“A house becomes pleasant when it is lived in; when abandoned, it produces boredom.”)

Development Potential of the Roof Deck and Terraces with Existing Volumes
Within the broader renovation of this palazzetto, it is possible to envision a new function for the roof deck, terraces, and existing rooftop volumes, integrating them into the redevelopment and the new spatial concept.
Part of the roof areas could also be used to install technological units for producing energy through renewable sources.

Current Portion for Sale
The current layout corresponds to the spaces shown in the plan, but the possible annexation of additional adjacent areas should not be excluded. This could complete a potential reconversion and enhance the rooms with new possible functions.
In the side plan, it is possible to observe—by comparing it with the lower plan—the current arrangement of spaces available for purchase.

Physical Geography
Territory:
The municipal territory of Trepuzzi, covering 23.67 km², has a flat morphology and lies between 33 and 60 meters above sea level. It rises in the central-northern part of the Salento plain (also known as the Tavoliere di Lecce), a vast and uniform low plain between the terraced uplands of the Murge to the north and the Salento Serre hills to the south. It forms part of the Valle della Cupa, the portion of plain around Lecce characterized by a large karst depression.
Seismic classification: Zone 4 (very low seismicity), PCM Ordinance No. 3274 of 20/03/2003.

Climate:
Trepuzzi lies within eastern Salento, which has a Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot, humid summers. Spring and summer are characterized by long dry periods.
Regarding winds, the area is strongly influenced by cold currents of Balkan origin or warm ones of African origin.

Climatic classification of Trepuzzi:
Climate Zone C

Contact information:

For more information, contact +39 333 250 5170 (Arch. Alessandro Mori) or send an email to: info@studiofori.com