If you’re stuck staying local this summer, Belmond’s new coffee table book, VILLEGGIATURA: Italian Summer Vacation, will have you fully immersed in the luxe landscape of Italy. Published by Assouline, the tome “captures the essence of la dolce vita,” exploring landmark hotels and must-see Italian destinations. From Cipriani in Venice, to Splendido and Splendido Mare in Portofino, the Villa San Michele in Florence, and more, Belmond has curated a comprehensive guide to some of Italy’s most beloved hotspots.
Transporting the reader to the Tuscan countryside, the Ravello mountains, and Portofino’s seaside, VILLEGGIATURA was created in collaboration with triple-threat curator, lecturer, and journalist Cesare Cunaccia, formerly of Vogue Italia, L’Uomo Vogue, and Architectural Digest Italy. Having published a wide array of books focusing on Italy’s artistic heritage, Cunaccia was the perfect fit for the project.
“Everyone dreams of living La Dolce Vita: delicious cuisine, breathtaking landscapes, legendary scenes, and cultural treasures,” Cunaccia said in a statement. “An immersion in a destination in its purest form, a way of life perfectly encapsulated by Belmond’s Italian properties, where time spent leisurely understanding the local rhythms is of utmost importance. Whether in a state of reverie with sweeping views of the Italian Riviera or wandering the endless rolling hills of Tuscany, this is the intrinsically Italian concept of villeggiatura – a term defined as a prolonged stay in a single place. An expression at the heart of the Belmond experience, with a deeper meaning, embodying the ability to feel a sense of belonging in a foreign city, an environment for mental and physical regeneration.”
With another new project in the works, Belmond also unveiled the debut volume of its in-house magazine BELMOND MONDES: The Global Compass on Modern Culture. Drawing inspiration from Belmond’s heritage in luxury travel for the past 46 years. Edited by former Condé Nast Traveller Global Editor in Chief Melinda Stevens, the magazine has tapped some of the world’s foremost creatives. Including excepts from British author Geoff Dyer, film critic Tom Shone, photographer Henry Bourne, design writer Aimee Farrell, and British actress Letitia Clark. The magazines are available to all residents of Belmond hotels, lodges, and modes of transportation on a complimentary basis. “Belmond’s range and quality is pretty resolute,” said Stevens in a statement. “What’s fun is to encompass that, and push it on into different platforms, helping the brand establish themselves as a publisher with a curious spirit, progressive, fun and uplifting.”
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