Bed and breakfast in Barletta
During recent restoration and conservative recovery work on the building’s stairwell and entrance hall, previously obscured sculpted elements on the keystone of the archway came to light. After careful cleaning by specialized personnel, two initials, etched into the stone in what we’d describe as an Art Nouveau style, appeared. Below these initials, which were not easily identifiable given their ornate and floral design, was the building’s construction date: 1886. This is where our story truly begins.
Our lives intertwined with those of the initially unknown 19th-century patron. As citizens of Barletta who cherish rediscovering the origins that characterize every place, we delved deeper. Our Bed and Breakfast in Barletta truly takes shape from this profound connection with the history and identity of the territory.
Our curiosity grew daily. Thanks to previous research conducted by a group of scholars on 19th-century urban development in Barletta, we visited the local State Archive. There, we experienced the magic of uncovering the history of our patron through documents: Francesco Paolo Piccapane.
Construction Permit
no. 147 of 1884
A wine and agricultural products merchant of considerable standing, Piccapane requested permission from the Municipality of Barletta in 1884 to demolish and rebuild an existing structure—the very building that now hosts us. From the signature on the blueprints attached to the request, we know that his designer was Engineer Ruggiero Lopez of Barletta. In those years, Lopez was responsible for designing many other buildings, completing the city’s historical fabric, all with similar characteristics and strictly on three load-bearing masonry floors.
Our building features a magnificent cellar on the ground level, used at the time for storing and potentially even for initial processing of wine products. Testifying to this are the “barbacani,” openings at the base of the facade within the wall cavity, designed to ensure constant and continuous ventilation of the rooms below.
As was common in the late 19th century, the building was constructed with dimensions exceeding the family’s residential needs; indeed, this period saw the emergence of the first rental homes. To corroborate this, we found an advertisement in a period magazine stating, “apartment for sublease on the first floor of the Piccapane house…”
What more can we say? Immerse yourself in history, read every sign, enjoy some of the mural paintings that were courageously brought back to light, and spend a wonderful stay just a stone’s throw from our city’s most important monuments. A special greeting to our Francesco Paolo Piccapane, whose vision, commitment, and entrepreneurial spirit made a 140-year-old dream possible.
Stay at our Bed and Breakfast in Barletta, where every corner tells centuries of tradition and culture. Discover the city, relax in comfort, and experience history up close.
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