Holiday among wonders from the ancient and the modern world in this staggering Neoclassical villa.
Situated in the centre of Sorrento, the Southern Italian town beloved by Byron, Ibsen and Wagner, Villa Giulia stands on a dramatic promontory overlooking the gulf of Naples, with a 270 degree view across from Mount Vesuvius to Capri.
Courtesy of Le Collectionist
Courtesy of Le Collectionist
Courtesy of Le Collectionist
Courtesy of Le Collectionist
Courtesy of Le Collectionist
Courtesy of Le Collectionist
Courtesy of Le Collectionist
Courtesy of Le Collectionist
Courtesy of Le Collectionist
Courtesy of Le Collectionist
Courtesy of Le Collectionist
Courtesy of Le Collectionist
Inside, the six-bedroom Italian holiday home – available to rent via Le Collectionist, price on request – expands in superlative grandeur over four floors. The interior has been upholstered with ancient statues, marble columns, frescoed ceilings and period paintings by famed French decorator Jacques Garcia.
Outside is a spectacular 30,000 sq m botanical garden. More than 700 rare and beautiful species of plants flourish among palm trees and cypresses, dotted between Renaissance sculptures, antic fountains and secret grottoes.
A large sea-facing terrace provides lavish space for dining outside with smaller nooks for more intimate soirees. There is a large pool in the grounds, while a private descent leads down 100 steps to the beach below.
History aficionados will find much to delight them: the spot has been inhabited since the 1st century AD when Emperor Augustus’s grandson built a villa here, and over the year, the site has played host to a convent, a Saracen invasion, and the first Viscount Astor, who was responsible for the expansion of the garden.
But for those wishing to venture further afield, the buzzing town of Sorrento is just beyond the villa’s grounds, and the ancient sites of Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius are nearby.
