Milan for the fashion houses and the design fairs, the lakes for the villas, the Amalfi coast and Capri for the summer, Sardinia for the yachts, Tuscany for the estates and Rome and Florence for everything else. Italy makes the objects the rest of the world calls luxury.
Stay
- Villa d’Este and Passalacqua, Lake Como
- Le Sirenuse, Positano; Hotel Caruso, Ravello
- Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco, Tuscany
- Hotel Cala di Volpe, Costa Smeralda
Shop
- Via Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga, Milan
- Via Condotti, Rome
- Florence for leather, Salone del Mobile for design
- Vintage couture dealers in Milan and Rome
Dine
- Da Vittorio, Brusaporto; Enoteca Pinchiorri, Florence
- Il Riccio, Capri; Don Alfonso 1890, Sant’Agata
- Osteria Francescana, Modena
- Any trattoria a local sends you to
Gavalia’s rules
- Lake Como’s western shore between Cernobbio and Menaggio is the address; the eastern shore is the value.
- Capri in June or September; in August the island is a queue.
- Buying in Italy: use a notaio and your own lawyer, check the cadastral value and any building irregularities before signing the compromesso.
Milan
The fashion capital in fact rather than name: every house has its flagship in the Quadrilatero, the Salone del Mobile in April is the world’s design week and the restaurants have quietly become the best in Italy. Stay at the Bulgari, the Four Seasons or the Portrait for the location; eat at the trattorias on Via Solferino for the truth.
The lakes
Lake Como is the most beautiful stretch of water in Europe, lined with villas that appear in films. Villa d’Este in Cernobbio is the grand hotel; Passalacqua in Moltrasio the new benchmark; Bellagio the postcard. Buying a waterfront villa here means joining a very short list. Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore are gentler and cheaper.
The coasts
The Amalfi coast (Positano, Ravello, Amalfi) and Capri are the summer: Le Sirenuse, Il San Pietro, the Caruso, a boat to the Faraglioni. Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda is the yacht harbour of the Mediterranean in August, with Porto Cervo as its village square. Puglia’s masserie are the discreet alternative for a villa holiday.
Tuscany and the country
An estate among the cypresses is the Italian dream, and it is buyable: from restored farmhouses in Chianti to castles with vineyards in the Val d’Orcia. Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco, Borgo Santo Pietro and Castello di Casole show what a restored estate can become. September and October, after the harvest, are the months.
The property market
Lake Como waterfront villas 15,000 to 30,000 euros per square metre; Amalfi and Capri 12,000 to 25,000; Tuscany estates 5,000 to 12,000; Milan Quadrilatero apartments 15,000 to 25,000.
Regions in Italy
Positano, Ravello, Capri
Amalfi Coast and Capri
Cliffs, lemons, a boat to the Faraglioni and the most romantic hotels in Italy.
Cernobbio to Bellagio
Lake Como
Villas, gardens and a lake that has drawn the rich since the Romans.
Porto Cervo, Sardinia
Costa Smeralda
The Aga Khan’s coast: pink granite, emerald water and the yachts of August.
Chianti, Val d’Orcia, Forte dei Marmi
Tuscany
Estates among the cypresses, the harvest, and a coast the Milanese keep for themselves.
Try it yourself
Destination MatcherMonth, mood and budget: the three countries or regions that fit, with the season and the hotels.Villa Cost CalculatorPurchase price and country: taxes, fees, annual running costs and the ten-year total, with rental income if you let it.Questions people ask
Where do wealthy people stay in Italy?
Lake Como, Capri and the Amalfi coast, the Costa Smeralda in Sardinia, Forte dei Marmi in Tuscany and, in the cities, the Quadrilatero in Milan and the historic centre of Rome.
When is the best time for Lake Como?
May, June and September for warm days, open villas and gardens and fewer crowds. July and August are busy; the lake is quiet from November to March.
Is buying property in Italy difficult for foreigners?
No. EU and most non-EU citizens can buy freely. Purchase costs are around 10 percent for a second home, with taxes calculated on the cadastral value rather than the price.
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