Villa Livia

Seafaring Charm

Decorated indoors and out in shades of mariner blues and nautical whites, this expansive villa for rent in Italy is distinguished by its circular architectural structure and old world seaside glamour. The circular construction is meant to convey harmony, and it creates the home’s magnificent panoramic views. 

Inside, Art Deco decor envelops residents in the coastal glamour of ages past, with modern updates for added comfort in the villa’s bedrooms and baths. A stunning living room bay window and many of the home’s half-moon terraces overlook the imposing Castello Aragonese, a fortified castle on a jutting island of its own directly in front of the villa.

This captivating 1960s era summer residence retains much of its vintage charm, with seafaring décor throughout. Best of all is the home’s privileged location, dominating a hillside that boasts unobstructed views of the majestic Castello Aragonese in the shimmering bay of Naples right below the house. 

The villa’s vast landscaped hillside, planted with fragrant jasmine and tropical-feeling papyrus plants, hosts the home’s series of circular rooms and its many blue- and white-tiled terraces. The garden also overlooks a maze of vineyards planted further inland in the shadows of Monte Epomeo, and has an outdoor kitchen area and loads of lounge seating. Adding to the home’s al fresco luxury, there’s an intimate Jacuzzi perch and a covered dining gazebo for outdoor meals with breathtaking views, plus wines from the property’s private cellar.

Located at the front of Italy’s boot ankle, Ischia is a volcanic island, rising off the coast of Naples in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Known as Capri’s less-glitzy cousin, Ischia offers visitors a classic Italian seaside vacation, with hundreds of thermal springs for soaking, idyllic fishing villages to explore, and languid coastal inlets and coves for simply dropping anchor. Ischia has been a low-key favorite of Italian families for decades, and as the largest island in the Bay of Naples, it’s actually an ancient playground, first settled in the 8th century BC.

Villa Livia stands as the vacation home of one such Italian family. It has four tranquil double bedrooms, two with terraces overlooking the fortress, two with vineyard views. All are nautically decorated, with navy blue and white linens and accessories, and adjacent bathrooms tiled in azure. The unique circular structure of this villa for rent in Italy means common rooms feature curved, built-in bench seating and swooping windows, and there’s even a round fireplace at the center of one living area. Walls are white, inside and out, with blue trim and navy shutters. And the vintage seaside decor theme continues throughout the villa, with a selection of varied blue-and-white tile patterns decorating the floors. A private cellar stocked with wines from around the world is accessible to guests, as is an indoor solarium.

AROUND

One hour by ferry from Naples, Ischia has been an Italian family getaway for generations. Ischia Ponte is the village that stretches out below the villa, and as the island’s largest community, it offers a multitude of shopping, dining, boating and touring options. 

Famed for its rejuvenating thermal springs, Ischia offers visitors the glamour of a bygone era, a less touristy Italian vacation destination, where locals occupy family-owned villas and visit the local vineyards and healing waters, rather than dress up for five-star dining experiences or glitzy casinos. Several beaches are within a 5-minute walk from Villa Livia, and thermal springs are within easy reach by car.

LOCATION

Ischia Island, Bay of Naples, Italy. Nearest airport: Naples on the mainland (30km).

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Easter to mid-October, with May and September as best months.