Casa Puglia Presents: The Art of the Pause — A Spring 2027 Yoga Retreat at Palazzo Giustiniani

Summer 2026 isn’t even over, and already we’re thinking about Spring 2027.

Because one of the pleasures of Casa Puglia has always been discovering that the best way to experience Puglia is not necessarily when everyone else decides to arrive.

Yes, July and August are fabulous. The beaches are buzzing, the piazzas are full, the restaurants are packed, and there is an undeniable energy in the air. But there is another Puglia—quieter, softer and, perhaps, even more seductive.

Puglia in the spring.

The days are warm without being overwhelming. There is still a breeze. The countryside is brilliantly green and filled with wildflowers. You can actually hear the birds in the morning. Restaurants have room for you. The roads are calmer. Prices have not reached their summer crescendo.

And—dare we say it?—fewer children running around the pool while you are attempting to find inner peace. LOL.

So Casa Puglia is already dreaming up something very special for Spring 2027: an intimate yoga and wellness retreat at the magnificent Palazzo Giustiniani in Sogliano Cavour, bringing together two extraordinary yoga teachers from two different worlds: Giuseppe “Pippo” Africano of Pippo Africano Yoga in Italy and Vanessa Van Noy (@vanessa_vannoy) from the United States.

Yogi Pippo Instagram: @pippoafricanoyoga_ 

Two Teachers. Two Perspectives. One Puglian Experience.

What excites us most is the idea of combining two approaches to yoga rather than creating the kind of retreat where you simply wake up, do a class, drink something green and repeat.

Pippo Africano brings an Italian perspective rooted in years of study and teaching. His background includes Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Flow and teacher training, with an emphasis on connecting movement and breath. His own platform offers group practices, private instruction and workshops designed around both physical and mental well-being. (pippoafricanoyoga.com)

Yogi Vanessa Instagram: @vanessa_vannoy

Vanessa Van Noy brings more than two decades of teaching experience in the New York/New Jersey area. Her philosophy feels wonderfully aligned with Casa Puglia because she describes her practices as fluid, functional and fun, incorporating humor, compassion and community into yoga. She has taught everyone from professional and collegiate athletes to people working with physical limitations, and her work has long extended beyond the mat through community initiatives including Headstands for Hunger. (ivy.fm)

Put those two energies together in Southern Italy and things could get interesting.

And hopefully transformative.

But definitely not too serious.

Because wellness, at least in our world, should also include laughter, beautiful food, wine if you want it, long conversations, afternoon naps and occasionally doing absolutely nothing.

And Then There Is Palazzo Giustiniani

We could hardly imagine a better setting than Palazzo Giustiniani, located right here in Sogliano Cavour in the heart of Salento.

The historic 17th-century palazzo overlooks the town square and combines the extraordinary architecture of Salento—its vaulted ceilings, stone details and enormous rooms—with gardens, terraces, pools and even a hammam. Its rooftop looks across the village and is made for those extraordinary Puglian sunsets and star-filled evenings. (palazzogiustiniani.com)

Instagram: @palazzogiustiniani

Imagine waking up beneath a centuries-old vaulted ceiling, walking into the garden while the village is still quiet and beginning the day with yoga as the spring sun comes up.

Then breakfast.

Then perhaps a workshop.

Or perhaps nothing.

That is part of the point.

@ThomasFuchsDecor post yoga pool dip

A Retreat That Actually Feels Like Puglia

We don’t want people to fly all the way to Italy only to spend four days staring at the inside of a yoga studio.

Casa Puglia has always been about living like we live here.

So our Spring 2027 retreat would combine yoga and wellness with the things that make Salento extraordinary: local food, artisans, villages, architecture, culture, nature and the wonderfully unhurried rhythm of Southern Italian life.

There could be morning practice followed by a long Puglian breakfast.

An afternoon exploring Lecce, wandering through one of our favorite towns or visiting artisans.

A private workshop back at the palazzo.

Dinner outside under the stars.

Meditation on the rooftop.

A conversation over an espresso in the piazza.

A dip in the pool.

And enough unscheduled time to remember what it feels like not to have somewhere else you are supposed to be.

This isn’t about returning home able to put your leg behind your head.

Although congratulations if that happens.

It is about returning home lighter, calmer, inspired and perhaps a little more Italian.

Peaches & Champagne Poolside 

Why Spring?

We have now experienced Puglia through different seasons, and spring may be one of its greatest secrets.

In summer, everyone wants Italy.

In spring, Italy feels like it belongs to you.

You can walk through Lecce without fighting the crowds. You can sit at a café without wondering whether someone needs your table. You can visit the coast without searching endlessly for parking. There is a freshness in the air and an incredible quality of light.

Most importantly, the rhythm is slower.

And when the purpose of a trip is to reconnect with yourself, slowing down seems like a pretty good place to start.

@michou.de.brickell sun shading

Something to Look Forward To

Perhaps that is why we are announcing the idea while Summer 2026 is still happening.

Life moves quickly enough.

We like having something wonderful on the calendar to look forward to.

So sometime in Spring 2027, Casa Puglia hopes to welcome a small group of guests to Sogliano Cavour for several days of movement, food, friendship, discovery and a little dolce far niente—guided by the combined talents of Pippo Africano and Vanessa Van Noy, and surrounded by the beauty of Palazzo Giustiniani and Salento.

Come for the yoga.

Come for Puglia.

Come for the food.

Come because you need to disconnect.

Come because spring is beautiful.

Or come because you would simply prefer your savasana without fifty children cannonballing into the pool beside you.

We completely understand.

Casa Puglia Yoga Retreat
Palazzo Giustiniani | Sogliano Cavour, Puglia
Spring 2027

Dates, program and reservations coming soon.

Sometimes the best thing you can plan for the future is a few days where absolutely nothing is required of you.

Have a great weekend,

MICHOU