Villa Beatrice - Ischia

When you’re on the island of Ischia, you hardly realize it’s an island. It isn’t Capri in that sense. It’s a significant size, with many separate villages. When we were last there, women were still carrying things on their heads. So there’s an charmingly ethnic quality to Ischia that to me was totally unexpected.

You reach Ischia easily by hydrofoil or boat from Naples. In fact, you need a car on Ischia to be able best to explore the island as well as for onshore excurions. What can you do on Ischia. Well, for one thing, explore everything about island itself, from the coastal villages and resorts to the interior hills and mountains. Views and vegetation are everywhere delightful, as is the food. Ischia also makes an excellent base for visiting Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Vesuvius, and there are boats which will take you to Sorrento, Positano, and beyond.

Villa Beatrice was constructed in the traditional Mediterranean style: thick stone walls and red terra cotta tiled roof. It was designed, built, and furnished by a career diplomat whose various posts and extensive travels enabled him to gather a delightfully eclectic collection of statues, tapestries, rugs, furniture and ornamentals. The paintings are largely European, with a well- rounded collection of Mediterranean gouaches forming the nucleus. Many are of Vesuvius, destroyer and preserver of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The villa combines the beauty of antiquity with modern convenience.

The villa is uniquely built into the side of a hill, so that all three floors have access to sun drenched terraces, shaded areas and the surrounding land. The 4,500-square-meter gardens afford privacy, freedom of movement and views of the Mediterranean, including the island of Procida (setting of the beautiful film Il Postino); the Aragonese castle guarding the port of Ischia (as seen in the film The Talented Mr. Ripley); and the great volcano Vesuvius, dominating the bay of Naples.

The library of approximately 2,800 volumes is on the third floor, and has an extensive assortment of books on art, history, exploration, literature, religion, and philosophy, and also includes political periodicals. There are also guides to Ischia, the sister islands of Capri and Procida, and such nearby mainland attractions as Pompeii, Herculaneum, Naples, the Amalfi Coast and Paestum. The library at Villa Beatrice is an excellent center from which to study Italian culture from north to south, in all its variety. Most volumes are in English, with many in Italian, German, and French. There is a study area at one end with a view of islands in the ever-present Mediterranean.

The living room is the largest room, with antique tiles, two circles of chairs and couches, a desk at one end, other antiques dispersed throughout, and an open marble fireplace. There are also a CD stereo and a television. The living room exits onto the central terrace and outdoor dining area by way of a jasmine-covered loggia. The adjoining dining room also exits onto the central terrace where the temperate climate and garden enhance the pleasure of outdoor dining.

The kitchen, separated from the dining room by a service alcove, was completely renovated and refurbished at the end of 1999 and beginning of 2000. It is equipped with a modern refrigerator- freezer, five-burner grill, oven and broiler stove, dishwasher, and two sinks, all recessed in or arranged around a black granite counter top with wall tiles and cherry wood cabinets. Everything needed to prepare and serve sumptuous Italian repasts is provided in an efficient and pleasant environment.

The third-floor bedroom, with adjoining bathroom and study, was completely renovated in 2000- 2001 and has a private loggia with views of the garden below. There is another small terrace outside an independent exterior door that leads directly to the gardens and then to the pool. The bed is queen-sized. The en-suite bathroom has separate shower and two person tub. One of the second-floor bedrooms has a queen-sized bed, en-suite bathroom with separate shower and bathtub, and its own outdoor garden loggia. The other second-floor bedroom has a double bed, private arched porch overlooking gardens, and an en-suite bathroom with combined tub and shower. The three ground-floor bedrooms are configured as follows: one with two single joinable beds which has an en-suite bathroom with tub and shower, and one with two single joinable beds that shares a shower bathroom with another smaller bedroom that has a single bed. All six bedrooms are elegantly decorated with tapestries, paintings and furniture. All have bedside reading lights, ample closet space, and new orthopedic mattresses. The five bathrooms were all completely renovated and refurbished from 1998-2001.

In the gardens, a stone walkway meanders amidst secluded stone benches, flower beds, a shaded hammock area, four terraces conveniently dispersed at different altitudes (with sit-down and lie- down chairs, tables, and a three-meter-by-two-meter canvas and wood umbrella on the pool terrace) bathing pool with a fountain of Poseidon (open from mid-May to mid-October), large stone barbecue and hundreds of evergreens, (including ten or so Redwood potted saplings, both semper virens and gigantium varieties) oak, orange, lemon, grapefruit, cherry, apple, palm, circas, mimosa, magnolia and olive trees. Roses, camellia, bougainvillea, geranium, iris, pansies, begonia, pumblaca, dahlia, crocus beds, lavender and numerous other flowers are spread throughout the garden, highlighted with ivy beds, herbs, bamboo groves, hedges and grapes. The sea, a five-minute car or short bus drive away, is visible from most parts of the property.

With its many beautiful beaches, Ischia provides swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, windsurfing, boating, water-skiing, and tours of the island. It is famous for its natural hot spring spas. Tennis, soccer, health club facilities and excellent walks are also available. Despite its tranquility, the island also has many excellent cafes, bars, restaurants and a few nightclubs.

The rental fee includes all utilities except heating and phone, which is monitored by an in-house meter. There is a washing machine, and weekly change of linen is provided. Guests have full use of the library. Garden and pool maintenance and immaculate daily housekeeping are also provided at no additional charge. A cook, baby-sitter and driver with or without car are made available for an additional charge on an as-needed basis. The villa is available year-round as it is equipped with central heating and three wood burning terra cotta heaters along with the open central fireplace. The minimum stay is one week.

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