Italy

Ask The Concierge: Caterina Cucuzza’s Taormina

Our Ask the Concierge series returns – and this time, we’re heading to Villa Sant’Andrea in Taormina, Sicily. Today, we meet the hotel’s Head Concierge Caterina Cucuzza. She tells us where to find authentic artisanal ceramics, reveals Sicily’s best spots for a shaded gelato and guides us on where to book a romantic dinner for two.

A waiter stands by a couple at a lamp-lit dining table at Otto Geleng with sweeping dusk views of the light-studded coast.

Guide: Belmond's Michelin Star Restaurants

From gold-plated dining overlooking the Venetian lagoon to pan-Asian elegance in the heart of Rio, Belmond is proud to offer some of the best Michelin-star restaurants in the world.

View from the garden to a white, Moroccan-style, two-level villa with arched colonnade balcony and terrace, flanked by palms.

Belmond’s Best Beach Villas

“I shall wear white flannel trousers and walk upon the beach,” T.S. Eliot wrote in a wistful ode to life by the sea. Surely the best way to appreciate it is from the comfort of your own villa – ideally with a cocktail in hand.

Bride and groom strolling through the Casanova gardens of Hotel Cipriani

Say ‘I Do’ to the Micro-Wedding

With the rise of the boutique wedding and minimony, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a day full of luxury and tradition. Here's why smaller celebrations at Belmond are having their moment.

A man's hand holds a Cipriani-branded yellow tennis ball, with the clay-surfaced court and hotel in the background.

Tennis Courts, By Belmond

From serving aces in the middle of Knightsbridge to match points overlooking the Italian Riviera’s azure waters, discover our best hotel tennis courts.

Image from the Liguria cookbook shows a bowl of three-tomato Spaghetti alla Elizabeth Taylor enjoyed at an ocean-view table.

Recipe: Spaghetti alla Elizabeth Taylor

Deceptively simple but with depths of flavour: enter the humble tomato spaghetti, named after the Hollywood starlet who loved it so.

Angled image of a happy, panting, silver-haired Weimaraner dog on a lead held by a woman in jeans in the Mount Nelson grounds.

In the Dog House

Finding the perfect luxury hotel that is dog-friendly can be a ruff task. Discover the Belmond hotels that allow pets and their stylish globetrotting owners, from pet-friendly hotels in Italy to luxurious doggy havens in the English countryside.

A swimmer rests at the edge of infinity pool watching the silhouetted coastline melt into the purple haze beneath a sunset.

Pools, By Belmond

The best hotel swimming pools offer iconic views, impeccable poolside service and something a little special – and with Belmond, you are spoilt for choice. From a pool party atmosphere under the sun in Rio de Janeiro to spots you can swim while watching the waves crash on white sand in the Caribbean, let us introduce you to the best of the best.

Historic honeyed Kodachrome photo of guests lounging with drinks by the sun-drenched resort pool, with a thatched bar area.

Swinging Sardinia

As Romazzino re-opens its doors in Porto Cervo, Christina Newland traces the Costa Smeralda’s glamorous history – from the Swinging Sixties to the glittering present.

The Basilica Santa Maria and the Doge's palace create a parade of grand, warm-lit edifices, seen from the canal at night.

A Nocturnal Guide to the Venice Film Festival

What is the Venice Film Festival at night without palazzos, bellinis and caffè corretto? Writer and cinephile Alexandra Pereira recalls a series of nocturnal adventures for you to emulate in the city.

View over olive fields and dense forests to a pretty Tuscan hilltop town, seen in hazy light from high up through red blooms.

Taste Travel: Tuscany

Deeply rooted in its agricultural past, 10th century estate Castello di Casole is committed to connecting guests with the bounty of the rolling Tuscan hills. In this new film, we discover Orti del Castello — Chef Daniele Sera’s vision of a farm-to-table ecosystem — curated from the grounds and producers that surround the Castello.

At a table with a red cocktail, olives and crisps, a guest plays Monopoly, the La Villeggiatura edition, seen from above.

La Villeggiatura Monopoly

With summer in full swing, we learn yet another way to master the art of the Italian getaway. Discover Belmond’s special edition of MONOPOLY La Villeggiatura, a playful twist on the classic game that weaves together our legendary locations – from the Amalfi Coast to Liguria, via Costa Smeralda and Tuscany.

Black and white image of actors Ben Affleck, Jodie Comer and Matt Damon, dressed up and laughing together in a water taxi.

Hotel Cipriani, As Seen By Greg Williams

To celebrate this year's Venice Film Festival, we’re exploring the incredible archive of photographer Greg Williams in a new publication. Here’s a sneak peek.

A guest dressed in white, carrying a white umbrella, disappears down a passageway in the hotel grounds, in black and white.

Behind the Scenes: Venice Film Festival

Hotel Cipriani has been a celebrity haven during the Venice Film Festival for decades. But how is this magic nurtured behind the scenes? The staff tell all...

A rose petal garnishes a Portofino Spritz, which looks like sunset in a glass, with lemon juice, gin, rose liqueur and syrup.

Recipe: Portofino Spritz

Discover the recipe for Splendido's signature cocktail, a Portofino Spritz – a fresh and fragrant mix that combines lemon with Liguria’s signature rose syrup and gin. The result? A spritz that mirrors the hues of a perfect Portofino sunset.

Illustration of Trenette - slim, flat strands of pasta - twisted around a fork and held up against a deep orange background.

Twisted, Stamped & Swirled: The Pastas of Liguria

New York-based cook, food writer and author Andy Baraghani pens an ode to the pastas of Liguria, celebrating the little things that make his five favourite shapes particularly special.

A still from Rossellini's film, Stromboli, shows Ingrid Bergman looking uneasy as she is watched by three local women.

The Cinema of Sicily

With its mix of bucolic villages and bustling cities, Sicily has often found itself in front of the camera’s gaze. As the Taormina Film Festival celebrates its 70th edition, we take a whistle-stop tour to discover the island’s celluloid offerings.

Golden lights dotted around the Teatro Antico di Taormina create a magical arena in the dusk gloom, seen from above.

Taormina Film Festival 2024: Celebrating Sicily

The 70th edition of the Taormina Film Festival struck the perfect balance between big-name screenings, thoughtful programming about issues in the Mediterranean and an homage to Sicily itself. Read on to discover the highlights of a week full of cinema in this historic town.

The cover of cookbook ‘Liguria: Recipes & Wanderings Along the Italian Riviera’ depicts a diner enjoying a bowl of spaghetti.

Eat Your Way Through Liguria

Discover ‘Liguria: Recipes & Wanderings Along the Italian Riviera’, a new cookbook collaboration between Belmond and Apartamento that blends food and travel.

Audrey Hepburn, in long white gloves, holds up her David di Donatello award for best foreign actress, 1960, in monochrome.

Celebrating 70 Years of the Taormina Film Festival

The 4,500-seat Ancient Theatre – once a stage for the works of Aeschylus and Aristophanes – is now the storied setting for the Taormina Film Festival. As the festival celebrates a new milestone, we look back at seven decades of cinematic history.

Action shot as a boy leaps into the sea from a rock where his friends sit in sunshine, seen through layers of blue parasols.

Lido Villeggiatura, From Sunrise to Sunset

Fedora Abu, style writer for GQ, MR PORTER and beyond, pens a guide to the perfect day at Lido Villeggiatura, the new beach club on Sicily's best shoreline that offers beachside elegance from sunrise to sunset.

A woman in a white shirt with shoulder-length uses scissors to cut a bunch of grapes from a hanging vine that glows in sun.

Taste Travel: Etna Wines

With her majestic presence and nutrient-rich soil, Etna has watched over Sicily for millennia. To mark 150 years of Grand Hotel Timeo, we celebrate ‘la muntagna’ in a new film.

A fine dish of seafood pasta is assembled on a simple white plate on a shiny steel kitchen worktop

Recipe: Basil Tortelli with Red Mazara Prawns

This dish is close to Roberto Toro’s heart. Our Executive Chef at Grand Hotel Timeo selected authentic ingredients from all over Sicily for this ode to his homeland. Pair it with a crisp rosé from the Etna region for true Sicilian delight.

Close-up of two glass bowls of Paciugo, made with layers of gelato, whipped cream, summer berries and Amarena cherries.

Recipe: Paciugo Gelato

Welcome to Gelateria San Giorgio, the legendary dessert destination reopening its doors in the heart of the Portofino Piazzetta. As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of this institution, discover the recipe of their most iconic item on the menu, the paciugo gelato.

Black and white image of the terrace with views of Taormina's town and coastline, and the breathtaking, snowy-capped Etna.

150 Years of Grand Hotel Timeo

To mark our 150th birthday, Delilah Khomo retraces the history of our legendary Taormina hotel: from the birth of the destination in 385 BC to luminaries who called us their home.

Breeze billows in diaphanous door drapes, bringing sunlight and movement into a darkened, cool room in Palazzo Castellucio.

Sicily, As Seen By Gregory Halpern

Sicily is a land of captivating contrasts. Here, we explore the island through the lens of Magnum photographer Gregory Halpern, delving into the enchanting destinations and exploring the mercurial Sicilian Soul.

Standing in his Amalfi lemon grove, an elderly farmer in a cap and jumper sniffs a fruit for ripeness, seen from a low-angle.

A Longing for Lemons

Sardinian-based chef and food writer Letitia Clark, whose recipes are inspired by Italian cooking, has a passion for lemons. Here, she tells us why those grown in Amalfi are the Holy Grail…

The tiny, picturesque Cinque Terre town of Manarola, with pastel buildings clinging to a rock above a small azure harbour.

Surprises of the Cinque Terre

Once a collection of sleepy fishing villages, the staggering beauty of the Cinque Terre now brings in a wealth of visitors, making it one of Italy’s most photographic sights – and up-and-coming wine regions.

Fringed with fern-like leaves, marigolds flowers catch the sun in their orange petals, seen from ground level.

The Mediterranean Diet Rulebook

A drizzle of olive oil coats juicy tomatoes, dotted with fresh herbs from the garden. Beside them, nuts and vegetables awaits near a wild-caught fish from the market. Welcome to the Mediterranean diet.

Chef Cozzolino spoons Carnaroli risotto with capsicum and sausage from a red bell-pepper-shaped dish on to a white plate.

Recipe: Sausage & Red Pepper Risotto

Alessandro Cozzolino, Executive Chef at Villa San Michele in Florence, looked back to childhood memories for this recipe. He took inspiration from his mother’s stuffed charcoal bell peppers dish, adding Gran Mugello cheese and Casentino sausage for a Florence recipe with authentic, elevated flair.

A blond woman in a strapless white dress enjoys a cream-stopped raspberry granita at Taormina's Bam Bam bar, in close-up.

Villeggiatura: Your Leisurely Summer Vacation in Italy

The scent of Sicilian citrus, or Amalfi saltwater, or Tuscan cypress in the breeze. Savour those slow, sensuous summers and embrace 'villeggiatura' – the art of the unhurried holiday in Italy.

Portofino marina on a Christmas night, lined with glittering waterside restaurants casting reflections on the dark water.

Guide: Winter in Portofino

The Ligurian coast doesn’t lose its picture-perfect charm during the offseason. Nautical glamour combines with festive cheer, where quiet streets are charmingly decorated with trees and lights. Read on to discover why Portofino is perfect for an authentic winter getaway.

A tanned man, wet from a dip in the sea, leans on his boat's canopy bar as he chats to friends on the cliff and in the sea

Unlock Taormina

Culinary temptations, archaeological treasures and incomparable views of Mount Etna – we're heading to Taormina for the ultimate Sicilian itinerary. Our next stops? Villa Sant’Andrea and Grand Hotel Timeo.

A copy of Sicily Honour rests on the deck of a boat with a pretty, hand-painted side, next to a red, blue and yellow towel.

Sicily Honor, A Book by Assouline

Read an excerpt of Gianni Riotta’s take on Sicily, a dive into the history of the island’s vibrancy and melting-pot mystique.

A plate of Trenette Avvantaggiate, a Ligurian speciality combining green beans, pesto and potatoes

Recipe: Trenette Avvantaggiate

Simply made with green beans, potatoes and pesto, this comforting dish is one of the most traditional in all of Liguria.

A female guest stands at the edge of the hilltop pool, looking over the bay to where boats huddle along the Punto del Coppo.

On the Heights of Portofino

From the hills above Portofino Bay to the foliage surrounding the walls of our hotel and the superb infinity pool, get to know Splendido, a legend 500 years in the making.

The concierge waves from the hotel's courtyard, surrounded by lush wall-hugging ivy and a long hedge of pink roses

Splendido, As Seen By Chris Rhodes

Rhodes’ work is rich with a spirit of irreverence and effortless luxury – a perfect lens through which to view the Portofino gem that is the hotel Splendido.

A lunch table on a rustic terrace overlooking Florence bakes in heat and romance, taken by Photographer François Halard.

Villa San Michele, As Seen By François Halard

Capturing the radiance of historic destinations, François Halard’s work is a meditation on the nature of beauty and the divine. Discover a new vision of a Florentine masterpiece through his eyes.

The Hotel Cipriani private launch cuts a bow wave through the green water at dusk. In the background, the lights of St Marks

Hotel Cipriani, As Seen By Chris Rhodes

Dive into Rhodes’ artistic exploration of this legendary Venetian residence, where the world’s most recognisable names come to indulge in life’s greatest pleasures.

Reflections of fuchsia cotton candy clouds float effortlessly on an infinity pool as it fades into the purple horizon

Caruso, As Seen By Letizia Le Fur

Through a mastery of light and colour, Le Fur reimagines the Caruso on the Amalfi Coast as a world of hyper-saturation and vibrant contrasts.

Aerial view of Belmond Hotel Cipriani, with St Mark's square in the distance

Hotel Cipriani: The Story of a Legend

Dive into 80 years of history at Hotel Cipriani and discover the secrets behind our captivating luxury hotel in Venice, Italy.

An out-of-focus woman in the foreground stands in front of stone ruins and a palm tree, crisp and clear in bright sunlight.

Grand Hotel Timeo, As Seen By Robbie Lawrence

Taormina is a destination to be captured with intensity. Enter Robbie Lawrence, a Scottish photographer with an eye for vibrant drama and a passion for the way landscapes interact with human senses.