We’re predicting that this summer, in a way unlike any before, people will be looking to travel with family and friends, finally reconvening after more than two full years. This means that villas and homes to rent, especially in places along the Mediterranean, will be in high demand. We recommend you book right now. Here, we share a selection of villas in Italy made available just to PRIOR members, as well as our pick of some outstanding properties in Greece, represented by the Thinking Traveller.
Villa dei Sogni, Amalfi Coast, Italy
Although architect Gae Aulenti’s most prominent projects were in Paris (she designed the Centre Pompidou and reimagined the Musée d’Orsay) some of her more personal and quieter work is found in her native Italy. Architecture nerds will know La Grotta Rosa, a home she brought forth in a cave on the Amalfi Coast, but far fewer will know this, an 18th century captain’s home a short distance from the town of Amalfi, that she bought for herself in the ’70s and renovated with the help of designer Carla Ventosa.
With high-arched ceilings and Sorrento terracotta-tiled floors throughout, the six-bedroom villa sleeps 12 people, with a large terrace looking out over the coast. A serene departure from bustling, touristy Amalfi and Positano, the villa is full of colorful artwork, living spaces intended for lounging and big bathtubs. A chef is included in the stay.
In addition to a pool near the house, a short walk down a pine tree–lined pathway will deliver you to a rocky beach, where there’s an area for sunbathing and a table for long dinners under the moon.
Contact us at membership@priorworld.com to inquire about booking Villa dei Sogni and becoming a PRIOR member.
Golfo di Napoli Villa, Sorrento, Italy
Striking palms, thick green gardens and citrus trees that perfume the air, add to the privacy of this grandiose three-story home that sits out on a promontory cliff over the Gulf of Naples. Here, the ancient history of this part of Campania is wildly present not only in the busts and contrapposto sculptures and relics from Pompeii that fill the halls and surrounding grounds, but also in the very ground itself, from which it’s highly likely that chunks of columns or fountains and shards of urns and vases from Greek and Roman times will make themselves evident.
Each of six suites, all with enormous marble bathrooms, are distinctly decorated, some in dramatic reds and dark woods, others with a lighter touch, but all with antique furniture carefully sourced from around the world. A chef, waiter and maid are included with the villa.
When it comes to water, there are options: a garden pool just off the house or an internal pool that connects with a grotto through which you can swim right out into the Mediterranean.
