bluestocking
NATHAN KIRKMAN
decor and immense individual charm. She carries us
to the seaside bluffs of Lazio to relish in the refinement
of La Posta Vecchia, a steeple-clad villa dating back
to the 1600s, only to sweep us off to Tuscany, where
the owner of a second century castle warms guests
with glasses of his private label cabernet. She draws
us to recline in the Hollywood-chic ambience of
Campania’s JK Capri, a sophisticated retreat for the
international who’s who, and to the canals of Venice
to absorb the opulence of a seemingly bygone era.
Then Nolan goes one crucial step further. She tells us
which room to ask for at each stop.
Because words aren’t nearly enough to sate
the hungry traveler, Italian Hideaways is further
enriched by 250 spectacular photographs by David
Cicconi. Panoramic vistas off the cliffs of the Amalfi
Coast; detailed close-ups of elegantly embroidered
headboards; claw foot tubs, minimalist dining rooms;
rolling vineyards in Tuscany’s Monte Amiata; and
aromatic lavender gardens—all are captured with a
subtle air of secrecy and seclusion that compliments
the delicacies in Nolan’s travelogue.
Italian Hideaways embraces the subtle, sensual
charm of Italy: ancient olive groves that shelter outdoor
dining rooms, intoxicating water views, priceless
antiques and jewel box rooms with a view. And it’s
these small pleasures that make Nolan’s hideaways so
utterly Italian n Hillary Brylka ~ Italian Hideaways:
Discovering Enchanting Rooms and Private Villas,
Meg Nolan, 200 pages, $45/hardcover, Rizzoli
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