Spread throughout the Tyrrhenian Sea to the northeast of Sicily, the Aeolian Islands served as homes for fishermen and farmers who were still adhering to “19th-century” ways of life when Italian neo-realism filmmakers started choosing these islands as settings for their movies during the 1950s.
Afterward, they gained access to electricity and holiday homes, drawing what’s known as the “superyacht crowd.” However, these places still maintain an ageless charm with their untamed volcanic scenery and quaint “sugar cube” dwellings, according to Stephanie Rafanelli.
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The most well-known island is Stromboli, which served as the backdrop for Roberto Rossellini’s eponymous 1950 movie. This imposing cone-shaped volcano, with eruptions nearly non-stop since 350 BC, can be best appreciated from nearby Panarea—the tiniest among the seven populated islands within the archipelago. Spanning less than two miles and hosting merely 300 residents, Panarea provides an idyllic environment brimming with tranquility and scenic splendor. It lacks high-end accommodations like five-star resorts, chain establishments, and yachting facilities; however, it has long appealed to “bohemians from Milan” starting in the 1960s.
In the ’70s, designers Myriam Beltrami and Paolo Tilche constructed Raya, a slope-side hotel resembling a whimsically tiered wedding cake. The venue’s outdoor dance club drew celebrities such as Aristotle Onassis and Gianni Agnelli back then and retains something of a risqué allure even today.
In the small harbor town of San Pietro, you’ll find several “white-tiled” accommodations like La Piazza and Hotel Lisca Bianca, along with charming eateries, most notably Da Pina. Just off a rugged, fennel-covered path lies an exquisite 1970s retreat called Antika, perfect for brief stays. Designed by Tilche using his distinctive “primitive-modernist” approach, this property boasts five bedrooms, expansive terraces offering panoramic ocean vistas, and access to a personal chef crafting delectable dishes made from locally sourced produce. Exploring the island’s historic shepherd trails is delightful; however, taking a boat tour around the neighboring rocky islands offers another level of enjoyment. These “jagged” outcrops serve as prominent backdrops in Michelangelo Antonioni’s iconic movie “L’Avventura,” released in 1960. One of these sites even reveals remnants of a Roman villa through its intricate mosaic floors.
The stays at Antika range from £11,995 per week.
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