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Almafi Torre is one of the most storied homes in Positano, a fascinating player in a millennium of history unfolding on a sentry spot at the edge of Positano's harbor. Now, this distinctive and idiosyncratic home is available for rental to families and friends who will appreciate its exceptional character and the memorable experiences it will engender.
This is not a conventional home, built as it has been on a promontory. The house spreads over multiple levels, connected by open-air paths and hallways hewn from stone. Surrounded on three sides by water, the glinting light diving in through every window, the house is as much about being outside as in. The sprawling layout is ideal for a larger group that seeks both shared and private spaces. Your stay is enhanced by an exceptional staff with long personal connections to this particular home and who are happy to share their love of this dramatic and unique property.
The site now occupied by the Almafi Torre began as a fortress during the occupation of the Saracens in the 1200's and was much destroyed and mostly deserted when a colorful Swiss hunchback named Clavel made it his home at the turn of the century. In reconstructing the tower around 1927, Clavel introduced Positano to cement. Fashioning the building to his taste, he designed and built the wood furniture, in a simple, uncluttered style, which remains in much of the property today.
In the last years, the owners have concentrated on upgrading and modernizing their ancestral home. Bathrooms were all re-furbished, new kitchens fitted, floors re-tiled. The design of the house is such that three groups can each enjoy their own kitchen, sitting room and sleeping accommodation, or gather together to dine and relax together. The Torre is designed to be a carefree and comfortable home, for casual seaside living. The appealing decor and inherently interesting layout, with its many corridors, stairs and terraces, is most suitable for those looking for an authentic Italian holiday without pretense or affectation.
You arrive at the Torre by water taxi directly from the main beach or on foot, crossing the beach at Fornillo and taking the staircase to the private entrance gate and path. Edged with roses, impatiens and geraniums overflowing their built-in planters, the walkways are an essential means of moving from room to room throughout the property. Open to the sky and hewn from the rough limestone hillside, the outdoors presents a relaxed, somewhat rugged style entirely suitable to this distinctive home. There are three principal terraces plus a private descent on a characteristic narrow staircase, to the sunny beach. While all beaches along the Amalfi Coast are public beaches, this beach can only be reached by others via boat, and when it is occupied by guests of the house, people tend to move on to the next, likely deserted, cove. An outdoor shower (hot and cold water) and WC are most conveniently placed alongside the east facade of the house before you descend the stairs.
Above the house, on an upper terrace, the owners have constructed a straw-shaded platform with simple weight-training equipment. No matter where you find yourself on the grounds, the views are truly breathtaking, encompassing the full sweep from east to west, and including an animating view of Positano with its colorful harbor and the characteristic tiled dome of its principal church.
POINTS OF INTEREST:
Positano: 15 minutes on foot, 5 minutes by boat
Sorrento: 20 minutes by boat, 30 minutes by car
Amalfi/Ravello: 40 minutes by boat, 45 minutes - 1 hour by car
Capri: 30 - 40 minutes by boat
Naples, Pompeii, Naples airport: 1 hour
Rome airport: 4 hours
RENTAL NOTES:
Monday and Saturday arrivals preferred but other weekdays possible; please inquire. Arrival must be by 6 pm.
Full staff includes caretaker, housekeeper (6 hrs/day, 7 days/wk), fantastic cook and server for meals. Some English spoken by caretaker and cook.
Linens changed twice weekly.
Additional staff hours, including personal laundry on request at E. 13.00/hr.
Fans available for all bedrooms.
Two cribs available for children up to 3 yrs old.
Fax machine.
There are numerous staircases, corridors and walkways linking the various rooms, making this hazardous for anyone unsteady on their feet or likely to be disoriented. Unsuitable for adventuresome children.
Arrival at house only possible via boat or on foot across stone beach. Parking at public car-park in Positano only, approximately 15 mins from house. Taxi-boat service available 24/7 from main beach; please inquire.
Skippered boats available for excursions; please inquire.
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