paradiso sul mare

General

The villa has the contemplative serenity of two generations of writers, with a magnificent garden of agave, cactus, cypress, palm, aloe, lemon, apricot, myrtle, and a forest of olive trees. The views are stunning across an immense sea to the Pontine Islands, and back to the sweep of mountains and coast.

The villa is wrapped in fluid terraces, with plenty of lounge chairs and in the distance are Naples, Mt. Vesuvius, and Ischia. The property is enclosed by bougainvillaea and jasmine and has an outdoor shower and a secure double parking area.

Location

Since the 1950s San Felice Circeo has been known to Italians but kept secret from most foreigners. In summer, well-to-do Romans rent villas and frequent the diverse beaches. A km from Paradiso sul Mare is one of Italy’s luxury hotels, the Punta Rossa, with a fine restaurant, chic bar, cove beach, seaside pool, and health spa (all open to non-guests).

Beside the swimming options in Circeo itself, just around the headland stretch the 20-km sands at Sabaudia, one of the finest beaches in Europe. Among its dunes, in the 1960s and 1970s, novelist Alberto Moravia, director Pier Paolo Pasolini, and actress Anita Ekberg were neighbors; Signora Fendi is still tweaking her villa. (Anna Magnani kept a villa and is buried in Circeo.)

Layout

Main floor:

• Vast living room with sofa, desk, sideboard, chaise, armchairs, CD player/radio.
• Large terrace with outdoor dining table, seats 6.
• Master bedroom with walk-in closet
• Bathroom with hipbath/shower, WC etc.
• Dining room, seats 10.
• Modern “professional” kitchen.
• Single bedroom
• Bathroom with hipbath/shower, WC etc.

Top floor:

• Bedroom with double-bed with en-suite bathroom with hipbath/shower and walk-in closet.
• Large terrace off bedroom with dining table, seats 4, overlooking mountains, sea, south coast.
• Den/library with TV, DVD, CD.
• Small “Romeo & Juliet” terrace-balcony over garden.
• Very large study with CD player/radio and Internet access.
• Intimate front terrace looking southwest to the sea, large side-terrace overlooking sea and garden/mountain.

Lower floor:

• Independent apartment with spacious double-bedroom with large desk & walk-in closet
• Living room with sofa, armchair, and dining table
• Full kitchen
• Bathroom with hipbath/shower
• Garden.
• Air conditioning (no extra charge)
• Separate laundry room for the use of the guests.

**No children between the ages of 2 and 10 allowed**

WHAT TO DO

This is a destination for vacationers who (awakened by bird calls) want to relax, read, paint, and explore the wonders of nature. Most people cannot imagine what it means to live in a national park: a diverse eco-system of dunes, beaches, forests, and mountain trails. You can hike, swim, cycle, walk, tan, play tennis, sail, bird-watch, ride horses, windsurf, snorkel, water-ski, fish, canoe. A rich array of archaeology and prehistory is a mere stroll away. There’s also a cooking school one evening a week, in English, and tours of olive oil, wine, and mozzarella artisans.

For gardening enthusiasts, the region boasts at least four of Italy’s great gardens. Within a two-hour range are Ninfa and Landriana on Ischia are La Mortella and the Giardino Ravino. The gardener at Paradiso sul Mare has a lifetime’s experience and is happy (if you speak even rudimentary Italian) to share his vast knowledge. Terracina (older than Rome), Sperlonga (a medina-like, cliffside town) and Sabaudia (a Fascist “model” resort) are an easy drive. The islands of Ponza, Palmarola, and Zannone (a nature preserve) are accessible by daily ferry from Circeo’s harbor. From two nearby stations frequent trains run to Rome (1+ hour), Naples and Pompeii (1½), Ischia/Capri (1½ + ferry). The Amalfi Coast is 2½ hours’ drive away. The historic WWII battlefields at Anzio are thirty miles away.

A gardener comes every day. A housekeeper comes for four hours six days a week, maintains the villa, and does laundry. She is a superb cook, if you want to make independent arrangements with her.