In Sorrento, the maison d’art La Minervetta is, first and foremost, the home of Marco De Luca, set designer and interior designer, who has created a wonderful boutique hotel here where color, art and the blue of the sea are the protagonists of an endless dream.

La Minervetta was born in the 1950s as the home of Marco’s grandparents, Giovanni Cacace, from Sorrento, and Wanda Schwartz, from Denmark, in love with the Coast, who ran an adjacent hotel with a restaurant that was then handed over to third parties until 2006 when it returned to the family and Marco began the renovation.

The Maison is perched on a cliff overlooking the sea, a 15-minute walk from the historic center, and has a wonderful view of Vesuvius and Marina Grande, a small fishing village.

La Minervetta is a ever-evolving house that evolves with my travels, my collections and with the landscape and energy of Sorrento and Vesuvius.

(Marco De Luca)

Its owner, Marco De Luca, has furnished it starting from the blue and red, which he loved so much as a child thanks to his Danish grandmother as they are typical colors of her country, with a play of cheerful nuances that captures the heart and sight as soon as you enter the living room foyer.

Every corner is decorated with many works of art and design objects by the Memphis collective founded by Ettore Sottsass, by Giò Ponti, by Gaetano Pesce, by Michelangelo Pistoletto and Mario Schifano, as well as pieces of local craftsmanship and folklore such as Vietri ceramics, corals, model sailing ships, sacred icons and pop objects from the 60s and 70s.

The terrace is wonderful, from which, with a private staircase, you can reach the village of Marina Grande through a terraced Mediterranean garden carved into the rock with a swimming pool surrounded by greenery and Vesuvius.

There are 12 rooms, all with a view of the sea and Marina Grande and a colorful decor with nautical details such as model ships and ceramics in the shape of shells and fish.

In the morning, breakfast is prepared in the beautiful kitchen, a small “Mediterranean brunch” with a riot of typical cakes and sweets from Campania, jams, cheeses, fresh bread, and fruits from Sorrento.

The table accessories are just fab. The famous designer Lisa Corti, a fan of La Minervetta, has dedicated to the hotel a beautiful collection of placemats, tablecloths, plates and coasters. A selection of these and other wonderful objects and accessories chosen by Marco De Luca can be purchased on Bazaar Minervetta.

La Minervetta is one of the most beautiful and magical places on the entire Sorrento coast.

The Secret

It was Marco’s mother, half Danish and half from Sorrento, who introduced him to the love for beauty and design objects. A passion that he then decided to pursue by studying at the Domus Academy in Milan where he met great artists and designers, including Andrea Branzi, Ettore Sottsass and Gaetano Pesce.

Useful Info

La Minervetta
Via Capo 25
80067 Sorrento, Napoli
Tel. +39 081 8774455

Rooms: from 600 euro with breakfast included