A dream weekend in the name of cult places of Italian and international cinema: let’s call them Amalfi holidays, in homage to Audrey Hepburn, but they are much much more. Between luxury destinations with period interiors and historic homes, an authentic journey through the flavors and colors of the Coast.
Call them, if you want, Amalfi holidays, reworking the famous romantic comedy with Audrey Hepburn in a Campania version. The idea, on the other hand, was born from a project by director Michele Pelosio who was the first to re-propose the classic Vespa from the film – but in yellow, as a hymn to southern sunshine – to explore the territory on an unforgettable journey on a 50 Special in a land already declared a UNESCO heritage site.
We borrow it to offer five experiences in a fairytale and traveling weekend to really discover on the road the cheeky beauties of a land of unmistakable flavors. Cinema has always loved this land and Roberto Rossellini has framed it in various films, including Paisà with Federico Fellini and Anna Magnani. Breathtaking views, cliffs overlooking the sea, romantic dinners on the beach and overwhelming passions born in front of a coffee: the very essence of Italianness flows quickly over these landscapes. We move slightly – from a geographical point of view – from the majesty of Naples, recently in the global limelight for the erotic cult of Netflix 365 days with Michele Morrone and immortalized by many local artisans in design enhancement initiatives that found art, fashion and music like Vienmnsuonno1926, an initiative to celebrate the traditions of the Neapolitan neighborhoods.
Impossible to capture the beauty of the Amalfi Coast? Perhaps, but we tried, in search of an unmistakable aesthetic that moves from landscape to design with unparalleled stylistic continuity.
ONE. A FAIRYTALE STAY IN RAVELLO
The first, suggestive stop of this enchanted journey is called Belmond Hotel Caruso, a luxury destination with spa and the highest view of Ravello at 300 meters above sea level, recreated in an 11th century building embraced by parks of rose and lemon groves and embellished with original frescoes, vaulted ceilings and antique furniture, including pottery from the Roman period. Rooms and suites are decorated with eighteenth and nineteenth century furniture, to feel totally immersed in history. The flagship? The Krug table for champagne tasting on refined chairs decorated with fabric by Emilio Pucci. Just a stone’s throw from this wonder nestled between the rocks Humphrey Bogart and Gina Lollobrigida shot
The treasure of Africa in 1953 and this is where Brad Pitt fell in love with Angelina Jolie on the set of Mr and Mrs Smith.
TWO. LUNCH BASED ON BLUEFIN TUNA AND OWNER’S ANCHOVIES
Armatore is more than just a restaurant: in Cetara, a seaside town also celebrated in the film Chestnuts are good with Gianni Morandi, this family of four-generator fishermen stands out in this treasure trove of flavors that comes directly from the net to the table. The famous bluefin tuna and the unmistakable anchovies of Cetara are fished directly by the owners and served to travelers with the famous recipes of the sea Gypsy. It is more of a gastronomic experience: this is a love letter to the sea from those who have always lived there, treating it with respect and almost devotion. Under the banner of sustainability, this place comes to life, under the arches of an ancient village that offer not only shelter but also a spectacular location to enjoy the sea breeze and peek at the life of returning fishermen with their boats in the harbor.
THREE. TASTE THE CETARA LIMONCELLO
Totò made the city immortal in Man, the beast and the virtue, taken from the work of Pirandello, and recently the character of Alessandro Borghi in Diavoli has brought it back into vogue because it is his native land, abandoned with the heartbroken to move to the heart of the City and dominate the London stock market. To truly savor Cetara, there is nothing better than the local limoncello, such as Agrocetus, which gives meaning to the very concept of slow life as a philosophy of life. The visit to the local lemon groves is a visual and sensory experience not to be missed, at least as much as the trip through the vineyards of Taurasi to taste the homonymous wine typical of the area or a walk in the garden of the Corbarino tomato, a rare and exclusive delicacy of town of Corbara, it is no coincidence that it renames “red gold”. Sound trekking, a recently re-evaluated sporting activity, places the emphasis on total immersion in nature for a discovery not as a tourist but as an explorer.