We have just spent a beautiful week at Villa Amalia with 11 family members. To reach the property, we drove up from Cava de’ Tirreni via a single lane road between high walls. When the tall gate opened, we parked all four cars inside easily and found ourselves in the midst of lush green foliage and flowers with a pretty, inviting, blue pool. We often began and ended our days in the garden, some paddling for refreshment while others sat sedately soaking in the beauty. Beyond the garden was the spacious villa, appointed with antiques, paintings, and sculptures. In addition to the four bedrooms upstairs, two rooms downstairs were equipped with comfortable sofa beds, each room with its own bath.
The welcoming host, Antonio, was happy to give directions and provide personal touches to make our anniversary and birthdays special. His friendly caretaker, Christiano, speaks several languages, so communication was never an issue. We availed ourselves of the services of the chef, Luciano, whose award-winning flambé cuisine is a treat for all the senses. (If you’re not a fan of seafood or food cooked in liqueur, then tell the host in advance, because these are the specialties of the house.) We enjoyed three unforgettable gourmet feasts. A word of caution: Pace yourself if you wish to try every specialty! Try to persuade Luciano that one pasta course is enough! Beyond his culinary gifts, Luciano is a kind soul. He helped with some mundane problems: what to do when clothes wet from the rain needed to be packed up the next day? Presto! … We especially enjoyed the tour of his church, St. Francis and St. Andrew, with its vast nativity scene. All three gentlemen were infinitely patient with our Italian, pretending we had rare linguistic ability. They did their best to anticipate our every need, while remaining unintrusive.
Though we chose the villa for its convenience, we found that from the house, with its gorgeous views, one would never guess there was a city so close, or that one could hop on the highway to Naples or Pompeii so quickly. On back roads, we drove down to Vietri sul Mare in minutes to enjoy its beach and ceramics. Continuing on the coastal road, my husband navigated torturous curves while the rest of us we took in the panorama of the Bay of Naples en route to the famous spots of Sorrento, Ravello, Positano, and Amalfi. Between the beauty of Campagnia and the ambience of Villa Amalia, we thoroughly enjoyed our holiday!