The restoration of historic rural architecture in Puglia today raises a central question: how to intervene without freezing the past, while keeping alive the relationship between space, use, and landscape. Within this framework sits the recovery project of Casino Li Pupi, in San Donato on the outskirts of Taranto, designed by Studio Francesco Marrone, which approaches authenticity not as a nostalgic return but as the construction of continuity.
The building, a historic holiday residence dating back to the late 18th century and owned by the de Cesare family since 1854, has undergone a series of transformations over time that altered its original balance. The project begins with a deliberate act of subtraction: the removal of incongruous additions accumulated over the decades brings the spatial and material structure of the complex back into focus, restoring clarity to proportions, masonry, and the relationship with the surrounding agricultural context.
The intervention is grounded in a conservative approach. Imperfections, traces of time, and discontinuities are embraced as integral parts of the project, becoming narrative elements capable of telling the building’s long history. Contemporary elements are introduced with restraint, through the upgrading of systems, a carefully calibrated lighting design, and meticulous work on the outdoor spaces, never in an intrusive manner.
The interiors are defined by a natural color palette and a balance between recovered furnishings and new insertions, creating spaces that convey a sense of essential, unselfconscious domesticity. The spatial layout is clear: the living area welcomes and leads into the kitchen, while a corridor filters access to the sleeping area and bathrooms, reinforcing a simple functional sequence consistent with the house’s original layout.
Great attention is given to materials, chosen for their ability to age gracefully and to establish tactile and chromatic continuity with the existing fabric. Stone flooring, natural plasters, and essential finishes contribute to a quiet architecture, in which every element works to strengthen the identity of the place without ostentation.
The landscape project completes and amplifies the experience of living. The garden, shaded by pine trees, becomes a true extension of the house, conceived as a place for gathering and conviviality. The swimming pool and a small outbuilding in wood and local stone define a system of outdoor spaces designed for everyday use, maintaining a direct dialogue with the rural character of the site and the Mediterranean climate.
CREDITS
Project: Casino Li Pupi
Architects: Studio Francesco Marrone
Location: San Donato, Taranto, Italy
Year: 2025
Photography: Studio Francesco Marrone
