a r s c a s a: Villa Astor on the coast of the Gulf of Naples

19.1.20

Villa Astor on the coast of the Gulf of Naples

SORRENTO, AMALFI COAST, ITALY

Villa Astor is a luxury villa with a rich history on the Gulf of Naples in Sorrento, Italy's Amalfi Coast. The villa is located at an altitude of 60 meters on the rocks of the Sorrentine Peninsula. Below, near the water itself, there are ancient grottoes, in which there were once baths and fish tanks.

In ancient times, this place, on the coastal rocks, was the residence of the grandson of Emperor Augustus Agrippa Postumus, which at the beginning of our era was destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius. In the Middle Ages, a monastery was built here, destroyed by the Saracens in the 16th century. In the XIX century the monastery was restored by the Dominicans, but soon fell into disrepair. And in 1888, the site was purchased by a wealthy aesthete, Baron Giovanni Labonia, who built a neoclassical villa here. At the beginning of the 20th century, the former American ambassador to Italy, billionaire and philanthropist William Waldorf Astor, whose name the villa bears today, bought the villa. He was able to expand the building, amassed an excellent collection of Roman and Greek artefacts, and set up a nearly two-hectare garden around the house, which today is one of the ten most beautiful gardens in Italy.

The new owner of Villa Astor invited the famous French decorator, master of luxurious palace interiors, Jacques Garcia, to update and create new interiors. It took the designer two years to find the perfect balance between modern luxury and the luxury of an old palace.

Jacques Garcia :

“I tried to convey in these interiors the eclectic taste of an American billionaire of the early twentieth century, passionate about the ancient world. This villa is designed for summer holidays. The salons on the first floor are just galleries for frescoes and collections of ancient art, since the main life takes place outside, in nature. Tables are set on the terrace, which offers a delightful panorama. On the first floor, my main job was to restore the halls to their former stately splendor. But on the upper floors I had to work creatively ... "

Villa of 950 square meters consists of 5 floors:

On the ground floor there is the main entrance with marble floor, columns, archaeological finds and valuable decorations and a panoramic terrace. In the side part there is a beautiful living room overlooking the terrace and an office with a library, which Benedetto Croce used during his stay in Sorrento

On the lower floor there is a fitness area with all kinds of sports equipment and 2 living rooms with panoramic views. One floor above, where a beautiful marble staircase leads, there is a central corridor with three halls. All rooms have access to a large terrace with panoramic views of the Gulf of Sorrento; there is a living room with original flooring and frescoes, a music room with piano and a double dining room with access to a furnished terrace with table and chairs and panoramic views. On the other side of the floor there is a large kitchen with professional equipment (double stove) and access to the courtyard with a wood burning stove.

On the second floor are the bedrooms:

master bedroom with fireplace, living room and marble bathroom, bathtub and shower; double bedroom with bathroom with shower and bathtub. On the third floor there are 4 double bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms (3 with shower and one with shower and bath).