Villa Furore

Villa Furore occupies a ledge on the cliff face above the Fiordo di Furore, a narrow inlet that cuts into the Amalfi Coast between Praiano and Conca dei Marini. The fjord is one of the coast's most dramatic natural features - a slot canyon where the sea rushes between vertical rock walls spanned by a single arched bridge - and the villa looks directly down into it from a height of 100 metres. The property is accessed by a private road that descends from the coast road through terraced vineyards, ending at a gated entrance carved into the rock. The house was built into the cliff in three tiers during the 1960s by an Italian film director who wanted a retreat invisible from both the road above and the sea below. This concealment remains the property's defining quality: from any external vantage point, the villa is undetectable, screened by rock outcrops and the vine-covered terraces that produce the grapes for the local Furore DOC wine. Four bedrooms occupy the upper two tiers, each with a terrace cut into the rock and a view down the fjord to the open sea. The master suite features a glass wall that slides away entirely, converting the bedroom into an open-air pavilion. Bathrooms are finished in local tufo stone with rainfall showers. The lowest tier holds a living space that opens onto a sea-level platform with a private boat mooring. A 6-metre gozzo - the traditional Amalfi Coast fishing boat, here fitted with cushioned seating and a sun shade - is moored at the platform for trips along the coast to Positano, the Emerald Grotto, or the Li Galli islands. A small heated plunge pool sits on this level, filled with filtered seawater. The wine cellar, carved into the cliff behind the living room, holds 400 bottles focused on Campanian wines: Furore DOC from the surrounding terraces, Taurasi, Greco di Tufo, and Fiano di Avellino. The chef sources seafood from the Cetara fishermen and vegetables from the terraced gardens of Agerola on the plateau above.