I hope you’ve all been enjoying a splendid summer, which on the East Coast is never quite long enough. At the moment I’m seeking out inspiration for my clients who want the renovation of their country house to have a Tuscan sensibility. Not having been to Tuscany in a decade I needed a refresher of what that slice of heaven is about. I read a recent review heralding the debut of Belmond’s book showcasing eight of the most prestigious landmark hotels throughout Italy they’ve acquired, Villeggiatura Italian Summer Vacation by Cesar Cunaccia. Within its pages all the sumptuous grandeur of these exclusive hotels are captured in exquisite detail.
Illustration Jane Black
The Palladio Suite at Hotel Cipriani, Venice with a 180-degree view of the lagoon - Photography Mattia Aquila
Just skimming the pages at Assouline Books in the D & D Building made me realize I had to own a copy of Villeggiatura Italian Summer Vacation immediately. I usually buy a couple of interior design related books for my reference library a year and this is the most lavishly photographed coffee table book I’ve seen in awhile. As explained in this book’s introduction, villeggiatura is a specifically “Italian concept, referring to the prolonged stay in a single place, whether at a seaside resort, country villa or snowy mountain retreat. A stay whose sole purposed is rest and recreation. It is entirely different from a simple “vacate,” or vacation, a more generic word that also the process of traveling from location to another.”
Hotel Cipriani has no end of impressive views - here the master bedroom of the Dogaressa Suite, oh my… photography Helen Cathcart
If you’re contemplating a leisurely full-on luxury travel experience, Villeggiatura makes a convincing case to book a trip to Italy staying in at least one of the Belmond properties. It certainly gave me wanderlust and in an ideal world I’d take a month off and stay in all of them - as if! For now, with a chilled glass of rosè in hand I’ll allow myself to be swept away reading it from cover to cover and, my dear readers, recommend you do the same💖🥂
Taking in the Portofino coastline from the Splendido - photography Marco Valmarana
Understated elegance in a suite at the Splendido - photography Enrico Costantini
The View from a terrace at Splendido Mare, Portofino - Photography Mattia Aquila
In Tuscany the Castello di Casole estate’s former wine cellar is reimagined as Essere Spa - photography Helen Cathcart
Whizzing through the Tuscan countryside in a vintage sportscar - why not… photography Tyson Sadlo
Ravello’s Amalfi coastline viewed from the Caruso Hotel - photography Mattia Aquila
Grand Hotel Timeo - Taormina, Sicily - photography Marco Valmarana
Presidential Suite Villa Sant’Andrea Taormina Mare showcases the clean classic lines of Sicilian craftsmanship - photography Ricardo Labougle
Fruitti di mare fresh caught with handmade pasta deliciously presented at Ristorante Sant’ Andrea - photography Mary Quincy
