Italy’s Amalfi Coast, Part II

                                                                                                               

Villa Tre Ville:  located in the hillside next to Positano, Italy.   The property has 4 villas, stacked one on top of the other.  You can see the villas on the left side of the picture.

The two Amalfi Coast resorts Villa Tre Ville and Li Galli share many things.   Both are former luxury villas near Positano that were once owned by famous artists.   Li Galli, was owned, of course, by the dancer Rudolf Nureyev, while Villa Tre Ville was home to the movie and opera director Franco Zeffirelli.   Zeffirelli had bought his property from a Russian writer, Mikhail Semenov, who had purchased the property in the 20’s.   These two properties are now forever linked in other ways than their geography -  both are owned by the Italian hotelier Giovanni Russo.  And both these once private houses are now luxury rentals.   During the 35 years that Zeffirelli owned Villa Tre Ville, he hosted such famous guests as Leonard Bernstein, Maria Callas, Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minnelli, Elton John and Laurence Olivier.   Although a prolific opera director, Zeffirelli is perhaps best known for his 1968 movie version of Romeo and Juliet.    When Zeffirelli owned Villa Tre Ville, it was comprised of three separate villas hanging off  the rocky hillside.   Climbing up from one house to another began to be too much for the aging Zeffirelli, and it was for this reason that he sold the property to Russo.    His biographer, David Sweetman, recalled a meeting at Villa Tre Ville:  "It took hours [to get there.] The taxi bill was unreal, but eventually we arrived at the top of this little winding road. And there was just a gate, and I had to go down all these bloody stairs to the villa.  Eventually, some ancient servant let me in, and I was shown on to this opera set. I've never seen anything like it. It seemed, just possibly, the most beautiful place on Earth."  

Things are different today.  One of the first changes Russo made was to add a much needed elevator inside the rock – a feat that involved 12 donkeys and a crew of stone masons who used old fashioned pickaxes.   The estate now has four villas instead of three, with a total of 15 rooms  – all of which have been totally redesigned and updated by Russo.   As at Li Galli, prices are steep.  In season a room can cost up to $8,000 a night, although smaller suites are much less. And as at Li Galli, all the fruits and vegetables come from the estate, while fresh fish come from the bordering sea. Throughout the property there are  private gardens and winding paths that link the acreage together.   All the villas have terraces, some of which are shaded under flowering pergolas, while others are open to the beautiful sea views.   Throughout, there quiet places for guests  to sit and drink in the atmosphere.   And, as at Li Galli, if the guests desire more excitement and shopping,  there is a boat that taxis to and from Positano.    

Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet, 1968. 

His most famous movie starred the 15 year old Olivia Hussey and 17 year old Leonard Whiting.  Zeffirelli was praised for hiring actors that were almost the true ages of Shakespeare's characters.  Hussey was not allowed to attend the London premier because of the nudity in the movie.  Ironically, the nudity she was barred from seeing was her own!

The four villas, one on top of the other.

Although Russo made many changes, he tried to maintain the original atmosphere found when the property was a private estate.   In the Zeffirelli suite, the same furniture that he used is there today, including the mother of pearl bedroom set which the director brought over from Syria.   Some of his original papers and books remain on the property.   In one suite, an old bread oven was turned into a cavernous shower.  Russo hopes to keep the literary and ballet world a part of his properties.  Recently  he hosted opera star Andrea Bocelli and artist Julian Schnabel at Villa Tre Ville.  Schnabel even added his finishing touch a fresco on the property.    Visitors come from all over the coast:  at night, large yachts pull up to the property, depositing guests to eat at the restaurant, The Pergola, dining on the beautiful candle lit terraces. 

The town of Positano – Villa Tre Ville over looks this beautiful view. 

The beauty of the property lies not only within the villas, but also in the views and landscape.  There are many flowering bordered pathways that connect the villas.  Pergolas are covered in green vines and bright bougainvillea.   The terraces overlook the many lawns and gardens that lead down to the sea. The architect Fausta Gaetani, a frequent guest of Zeffirelli’s,  was hired by Russo to renovate the property.

   A charming wood boat, the San Ferdinando zips back and forth to the town of Positano.  A limousine is also available. 

 

THE PERGOLA:  THE RESTAURANT AT VILLA AZZURRA

The restaurant is appropriately named, La Pergola.  In warm months, guests sit under the pergola, on colder days – meals are served around an indoor fireplace, exactly where Zeffirelli ate his meals.  The restaurant is located in the Villa Azzurra, as is the Club Lounge

 

 

 

A recent guest posted his dinner on Flickr.  Is your mouth watering?

 

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Nureyev’s islands Li Galli are seen in the waters off the restaurant's terrace. 

The tiled kitchen could not be any more charming!  The kitchen which overlooks the sea is open to the guests who want watch the chefs at work.

Inside the Villa Azzurra – guests eat around the fireplace in cooler months.  The stairs led up to one of the suites.

 

The fireplace in the Villa Azzurra is surrounded by niches filled with antique pottery.   The mantel is so beautiful!

A photograph of Zeffirelli standing in front of the pottery niches.  I love his décor and prefer it to today’s decor!!!!!  I wish I could see more of it!

A close up of the gorgeous glass chandelier in the lobby of the Villa Azzurra. 

The artist Julian Schnabel recently added his touch to the fresco in the Villa Azzurra lobby.

 

THE CLUB LOUNGE:  VILLA AZZURRA

The open terrace next to the restaurant is the Club Lounge which serves drinks during the day and early night. 

 

A corner of the Club Lounge terrace at Villa Azzurra.

SALONE BIANCO AT VILLA BIANCO:

The bar, Salone Bianco is located at the Villa Bianco.   The interior designer Renzo Mongiardino is responsible for its Moroccan styled interiors. 

Another part of the Salone Bianco.  I love the white tiled walls.

Drinks are also served outside the Salone Bianco on the terrace of the Villa Bianco.

Another picture of the terraces at the Salone Bianco at Villa Bianco, during early dusk.  At the lower level on the right is the entrance to the “Tosca” suite.  The large Villa Bianco is where  Zeffirelli actually lived.

 

THE SUITES:

THE VILLA ROSA:

The first of the four villas is the pink Villa Rosa, which is highest up on the hill.   It comes with its two suites:  The Bernstein and the Nijinsky Suites.  Most rooms are named after the famous guests that have slept in them. 

 

The Bernstein suite is all blue and white tiles.   The pattern in the floor tiles looks exactly like a Madeline Weinrib rug. 

The shower in the Bernstein suite was created out of a former pizza oven.  Amazing!!!

The second set of rooms, the Nijinski Suite, is done in peaches – dark and light. 

THE VILLA AZZURRA:

The next villa, Villa Azzurra has three suites.  The restaurant, Pergola, and the lounge, Club Lounge, are also located on this villa’s large terraces. 

The first suite, the Downes Suite, is named after the American journalist Donald Downes, a friend of Zeffirelli’s. The suite is decorated in vibrant turquoise blue and white. 

The Downes suite bathroom has an amazing collection of apothecary jars filled with turquoise colored water.

The Diaghilev Suite, with its seashell theme,  is named after Sergei Diaghilev, the famous Russian ballet choreographer and founder of the Ballets Russes.    Diaghilev was a frequent guest at Villa Tre Ville.   This suite’s floor is made out of traditional blue and white tiles.

The bathroom is all white and has a tub that sits underneath a shell niche.  

The large Massine Suite is named after the ballet dancer Leonide Massine who is the original owner of the nearby Li Galli islands.   This suite is one of my favorites – done in a traditional Italian design style.  

The bedroom of the Massine Suite.  It’s ceilings are painted and the floors are Majolica tiles.   The bathroom is through the wood door, down a flight of stairs. 

The Massine Suite’s bathroom is down a small flight of stairs below the suite.   The floor and shower are made of small mosaic tiles. 

THE VILLA BIANCO:

Villa Bianco is one of the largest villas and is where Zeffirelli stayed.   The Salone Bianco – a club – is also located in this villa.

An infinity edge swimming pool overlooking the sea is located at the Villa Bianco.  Through the double doors is the Zeffirelli suite.

The large Zeffirelli suite has three bedrooms, a living room and a dining room.  In the master bedroom, the mother of pearl furniture bought by Zeffirelli in Syria remains just as it was during his time.

The bedroom that Zeffirelli used.  Beautiful photograph!

This bedroom located in the Zeffirelli suite has a beautiful tiled floor and fireplace. 

The fireplace mantel in the Zeffirelli suite.

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Also in Villa Bianco are two more suites: the Callas suite was named after the most famous guest ever to stay – Maria Callas, the opera singer. 

 

The Tosca Suite is the last suite in the Villa Bianco.   What a headboard!!!!  I really like this bedroom a lot with the crisp blue and white fabrics. 

Close up of the sunburst headboard in the Tosca suite.

The Tosca has its own balcony overlooking the sea.

And there is also a small hot tub in the private garden that the Tosca suite shares with the Callas suite.  I think I would pick this suite with its own private gardens!

But, the Tosca bathroom takes the cake.   The shower is completely open to the balcony and the view.  And notice the window behind the sink – with just an antique mirror on the sill.  Beautiful!!!

 

The Villa Tre Pina:

The last villa, the Villa Tre Pini, has five large suites.  When Zeffirelli owned the property, there were only three villas, but another – this villa – was added to the property by Russo.     Here the Romeo and Juliet is done in reds and pinks.  This suite has the best view of the La Galli islands, once owned by Nureyev, but now owned by Russo.

 The Aida Suite is all blues and whites. 

The shower at the Aida suite has beautiful Carrara marble. 

The Turnadot suite is in blues and greens.   Its bathroom is also all Carrara marble. 

The Carmen Suite is oranges with red.    Each room has its own flat screen tv. 

I love the Carmen headboard fabric and notice the Italian lamps and lampshades.  So cute!!!!

 

 

And last, the Norma Suite is reds and grays with playful stripes. 

The Bay and Gardens:

The swimming area is down a few flights of stairs.  Zeffirelli says he sold the property because his knees couldn’t take it anymore.   One of the first things Russo did when he bought the villas was install an elevator .  There is no actual beach here – just steps leading into the water.

 

Nice.  Bring me an apple martini please!

 

Off the swimming area, is the boat dock. 

 

There are pathways leading throughout the property.  This one, leading to the boat dock,  is under a pergola covered in vines. 

The walkway in front of the Villa Bianco. 

 

 

Flowers next to the brick walkway leading up the Villa Bianco.

 

This terrace at the Villa Bianco is one of the prettiest on the property.  The pergola is so beautiful. 

 

 

The view from Positano looking at the Villa Tre Ville, encircled in white.

 

If you are interested in seeing how the villas looked before the remodeling, go HERE for the original sales brochure prior to when Russo purchased the villas.  At that time, there were only three villas.  I love the way Zeffirelli decorated the villas and wish they still looked that way!!  But, it’s a hotel now, not a home.    To read the Villa Tre Ville web site, go HERE.

 

Can you guess who these two are:  Yes!  It’s Romeo and Juliet all grown up.  Juliet, Olivia Hussey, looks exactly the same!!!  That’s Leonard Whiting who played Romeo. 

 

 

BIG GIVEAWAY ON THE SKIRTED ROUNDTABLE!!!!!

We are having a really big giveaway on the Skirted Roundtable.  So run over to that blog, www.skirtedroundtable.blogspot.com and check it out!!!!!  Hurry!!!!

 

 

AND FINALLY, A NEW BLOG DESIGN!!!

As you can probably notice, I have changed my blog after all this time.   For the past year, I have played around with different styles and even hired a few blog designers to create something new, but nothing really “sent” me.   When I was doing the chandelier giveaway, I fell madly in love with Julie Neill’s new web site HERE and contacted her designer, Nancy Morgan of Morgan Web Design HERE.  Within a day or two I had a working template that I really liked and felt that Nancy immediately understood what I wanted – something chic, something clean, something simple!   I highly recommend her if you are needing a web or blog designer!!!!  We still have a few tweeks to work out here and there, but I was so excited to show it off, I went LIVE a tad early!!!   Thanks Nancy for all your hard work.

Nureyev’s Italy: Then and Now

Three islands (with a small 4th and an extra rock) make up the grouping off the coast of Positano, Italy known as Li Galli.   The Roman tower seen on the middle of the island dates from 12th century, while the other two main houses and chapel date from the early 20th century.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

The islands have strong ties with Russian ballet.   Here, the Russian dancer and choreographer Leonide Massine who once owned Li Galli, stages a ballet off  its terrace.

Off the coast of Positano, are three small islands that collectively are known as Li Galli.   The islands have a long romantic history dating back to ancient times when the mythological sirens with their lilting voices and music caused boats to shipwreck on its rocks.   The earliest known inhabitants, the Romans, built a fort on the largest island.   In more recent times, the Russian ballet star Rudolf Nureyev purchased the islands from Leonide Massine, another famous Russian dancer and choreographer.  Massine bought the islands in 1924 and built a home there which the architect Le Corbusier later refurbished.  There is an interesting documentary starring Massine where he shows off his island and talks about his life HERE.  Nureyev’s emotional ties to the island were strong for historical reasons:  Massine had purchased the island from yet another Russian choreographer Diaghilev  - making Nureyev the third Russian choreographer to own the islands.

 

Nureyev had planned to open a ballet school on the island but died of AIDS before his dream was fulfilled.  Here, he practices on the island’s terrace, using the fence as a barre.

Massine sold his islands to Nureyev in 1989 for 3 billion Italian liras. The Italian resort was just one in a long line of properties Nureyev owned.  During his lifetime, he also owned a farm above Monaco, the Parisian apartment and the NY apartment in the Dakota.  There was a house near Richmond Park and a farm in Virginia, and finally a villa on St. Barts.   When he bought Li Galli, it had been uninhabited for over a decade and he enthusiastically began to restore it, installing a helicopter pad and buying furniture and building supplies.  He purchased a gilded bathtub in Paris that arrived on the island dangerously swinging from a helicopter.     Massine had installed a dance studio in the tower, which Nureyev made good use of.  He planned to open a ballet school on the island, given its remarkable Russian ballet roots, but it was not to be.  He built an underground mausoleum in memory of his mother where he spelled out her name in tiles using Arabic motifs.  Although he put his energies into the updates,  according to a biographer, the construction on Li Galli was never finished because he was too cheap to pay for all the needed repairs.  Much of his last months were spent on Li Galli.  Once, he was found, sick, laying on the floor atop one of his beloved kilims.  His wish was to be buried on the island, but that idea was squashed as plans to sell Li Galli were started before his death.  Eventually the property was sold to an Italian hotelier - Giovanni Russo.  Russo has spent the past 15 years remodeling the houses on the islands, completely decorating every bedroom, bathroom, and public area.   Recently, he opened Li Galli for rentals. 

 

Given its strong ties to the ballet world, the current owner continues to host dance events.  This summer, the Houston company Dominic Walsh Dance Theatre performed on the terrace overlooking the Amalfi coastline of Italy. 

Today, the Li Galli islands are available to paying vacationers for the first time.   After spending 15 years using the islands as his private retreat, Russo has opened the doors to guests who arrive either by boat or helicopter.   There is a salt water swimming pool and a 115 ft. yacht that is available for guests, at an extra charge of course.   You have your choice of six bedrooms:   two in the large Villa Giovanni,  two in the ancient Tower, and two in the charming White House which sits next to the chapel where weddings take place.   All meals are provided using fresh vegetables and fruits grown on the island along with fish caught off the coast – it must be so delicious.  In the summer at the height of the season, the island cost 130,000 Euros a week; during the other ten months, it’s a bargain at only 100,000 Euros.   Oh, and your bed linens and towels are changed daily – for that kind of money that should be unsaid.

 

 

In this aerial shot, you can plainly see the ancient tower with the terraced side of the island leading down to the sea.  In the middle is the large, peach colored Villa Giovanni.  At the left, is the smaller White House with the Chapel next door.  Scores of boats from the mainland circle the historic islands taking pictures.

In a closer view, the small chapel can be plainly seen at the very left next to the White House.   The peach colored Villa Giovanni is to its right.  Only the top of the tower can be seen.

 

 

The boat launch sits under the tower.

In this gorgeous photograph, the tiny chapel stands over the rock steps which lead down to the sea. 

 

 

 

On this map you can see the islands are located close to Positano, Naples and the Island of Capri. 

House and Garden photographed Li Galli in 1992, shortly before Nureyev’s death in 1993.   Here he sits wearing a shawl and hat, on a table topped with his beloved kilims. 

 

 

Each room in the villa is covered in tiles.   This room is filled with a numerous versions of blue and white tiles.

 

 

Nureyev’s bedroom is also tiled and covered in kilims.   But, the most amazing items are the oversized lamps!!

A rare shot of Nureyev taken by a friend inside his tile lined Li Galli villa.

 

                                                                                                                                                                 

The helicopter pad sits right under the tower. 

Villa Giovanni in peach.   The White House and the chapel are to the left.   Each house and the tower has two bedrooms for a total of six.

 

Villa Giovanni:

The terrace of Villa Giovanni.

The open air entry to Villa Giovanni.

 

 

The main living room at the peach villa.

 

 

The game room at Villa Giovanni. 

 

 

And the library at Villa Giovanni.

 

 

Whoa.  A completely tiled bedroom at Villa Giovanni.

 

And looking out the towards the dining terrace.  Amazing.  Unfortunately, none of these interiors match up to the ones from the House and Garden photoshoot. 

 

 

The bathroom is also completely tiled. 

 

In a change of pace, the kitchen is tiled in green instead of blue and white. 

 

 

 

The dining terrace’s floor looks like a swimming pool.  I love those vintage chairs!  What a romantic place to eat dinner. 

 

 

The pizza kitchen at Villa Giovanni.

The Tower:

 

 

The salt water pool is outside the ancient tower.

 

The living area of the tower with a set of drums in case Ringo Starr shows up.

 

 

The tower’s kitchen has a bold yellow Le Cornue stove.

 

 

The main bedroom in the tower is bright yellow – to match the stove??

 

 

One of the tower’s bathrooms.  I wonder what happened to Nureyev’s gilt bathtub?

The White House and Chapel:

The White House overlooks the chapel. 

 

This bedroom in the White House is called the Honeymoon Suite.  Notice the floors are wood here, not tiled.

 

The White House’s bathroom – with a great antique gilt mirror.  Notice how the yacht just happens to be in view out the window.

 

The White House and the chapel stand next to the stone steps leading to the water.

 

 

The chapel holds only 20 people, so large weddings have to take place outside on the terrace.   The same white tiles used in the main villa Giovanni are used here. 

 

 

Russo’s yacht which available for the guests to use – at an extra fee, of course!

 

The main stateroom inside the yacht.  Amazing!

ISlE ISCA:

A fourth island, Isca, is considered part of the Li Galli group, but ownership of this fourth island is separate from the other three.  Here through a group of rocks, you can see Isca.   

Isca is home to many Roman ruins and the house itself was built on the foundation of ruins.   While Li Galli has ballet roots, Isca has literary roots.   The famous Italian writer  and actor Eduardo de Filippo owned Isca and built the house on it – the only flat portion of the island.   On the island is a grotto called the Sapphire Cave, similar to the nearby Blue Grotto.  It is considered one of the top ten diving spots in all of Italy.  

 

Part II on Italy, next time!!

 

 

Be sure to listen to the new Skirted Roundtable when Linda, Megan and I discuss the rash of new digital design magazines.  We are having a great giveaway this week!  Go to www.skirtedroundtable.blogspot.com to enter!!!