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Helen gears up for an Italian job on her Puglian pile

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3 APRIL 2007

Buckingham Palace or Balmoral it isn't, but the 16th-century Masseria Matine estate in Southern Italy is clearly fit for Queen star Helen Mirren. The Oscar-winner has apparently bought the tumbledown property for £690,000 and has spent the last week drawing up renovation plans. After two previous reconnaissance trips with friends, she was joined by husband Taylor Hackford in the village of Tiggiano, in the province of Lecce, to meet locals. One local baker even made her a cake decorated with a photo of her from her Academy Award-winning film.

Half-a-mile away from the gleaming Mediterranean, the property boasts a mature vineyard and is surrounded by high, fortified walls - perfect for a privacy-loving star. She discovered it while in the region to collect a prize at the local Salento International Film Festival. Dame Helen, who also owns properties in LA and London, will not be able to move in straight away, though, as it is in need of some extensive refurbishment.

The Hollywood husband-and-wife team have been exploring their new holiday-home territory in the last few days, taking in the sights of South East Italy's "heel", including the historic centre of Lecce - known as the "Florence of the Baroque". Local sandstone buildings, tinged a warm pink, boast impressive facades of intricate cherubs, flowers, fruits and animals - the most spectacular examples of which are the carvings on the church of Santa Croce.

Another highlight of the Puglia region - which is growing increasingly popular among Europe's jet-set - is its cuisine, producing some of Italy's best cheeses and offering local specialities such as friselle - crunchy bread rings softened in water and served with olive oil and tomatoes - and pasta called orecchiette or "little ears", not to mention fresh seafood.