The Italian summer of Domus, in 10 places

From Puglia to the island of Elba, from Porto Cervo to Arenzano, we bring you stories of Italy’s summer destinations through the lens of Domus.

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La redazione di Domus
05 August 2024

Picture this: you’re driving down the Autostrada del Sole (“Sun Motorway”), weaving through endless queues and stopping for a quick sandwich and coffee at those classic bridge-type Autogrill designed by Angelo Bianchetti. As you roll into town, you stumble upon village bars with their blue Algida tables and Monobloc white plastic chairs, where locals are playing cards. The beach scene? Think rackets, beach clubs, roadside bicycles, and a burst of colorful, breezy clothes that turn heads as the sun sets. Family vacations and trips with friends alike bring forth images of the Tyrrhenian, Adriatic, or Ionian coasts – whether in northern, central, or southern Italy. These scenes are etched into our collective memory, persisting even as the way we experience vacations has evolved. It’s the myth of the Italian summer, nostalgically holding onto the legacy of the ‘80s and ‘90s. This isn’t your typical tourist guide. It’s a handpicked selection of iconic Italian summer destinations and their stories. It covers everything from the architectural gems of modern Sicily to the creation of the Costa Smeralda paradise, and the island of Elba, which attracted renowned architects like Bbpr and Gio Ponti. So, join us as we discover the places of the Italian summer, Domus style.

Apulia, beyond the sea

Edoardo Tresoldi, Santa Maria di Siponto, Manfredonia, 2016. Photo Roberto Conte

Every little corner of Puglia gives the chance to marvel: from the ancient tuff cathedrals (the one in Trani inspired the labyrinthine works of Maurits Cornelis Escher) to the olive groves that stretch over Martian red earth landscapes. Puglia is also one of the Italian regions that deeply transformed its relationship with tourism in the last two decades, attracting more and more holidaymakers. This year, thanks to the pandemic, there will be the opportunity for many Italians - and not only - to (re)discover it. Read more

Sicily and its modern architecture

Italo Lanfredini, Il Labirinto di Arianna, Castel di Lucio, 1990. Photo Filippo Barbaria

When we think of the architectural heritage of a region such as Sicily, the first examples that come to mind are undoubtedly ancient: the Cathedral of Syracuse and the Temple of Selinunte, the Baroque route in the Noto Valley and the Arab-Norman route in Palermo. The grandeur of these examples overshadows a period, the modern and contemporary, that continues to offer us extraordinary examples of architectural and engineering works. Read more

Porto Cervo, the beach of the international jet-set where pan-Mediterranean architecture was born

The charm of Porto Cervo's early architecture and holidaymakers. Credits: Nello Di Salvo, Coast Magazine.

At the dawn of the 1960s, John Duncan Miller, a Cambridge graduate and finance mogul nearing retirement, former Washington correspondent for the Times and with a past in the British intelligence services in the American capital, finds himself sailing off the coast of north-western Sardinia. Read more

The Adriatic city, the other side of Italy

Bellaria (Rimini). Photo Domezdegomera from Flickr

Also known in the past as sinus, inlet or gulf, the Adriatic is the maritime corridor that united Europe and the Levant for over a millennium. The Serenissima Republic of Venice established itself as a commercial superpower by expanding its relations with Asia and the Middle East. Read more

Elba: the great mystery of the Mediterranean

Isola d'Elba, from the Domus archive BBPR, research on Isola d’ Elba as tourist destination

Domus 152, August 1940

Isola d'Elba, from the Domus archive BBPR, research on Isola d’ Elba as tourist destination

Domus 152, August 1940

Isola d'Elba, from the Domus archive BBPR, research on Isola d’ Elba as tourist destination

Domus 152, August 1940

Isola d'Elba, from the Domus archive Leonardo Ricci, villa for Pierre Balmain in Poggio, Isola d’Elba, 1959

Domus 354, May 1959

Isola d'Elba, from the Domus archive advertisement for the Capo di Stella project

Domus 367, June 1960

Isola d'Elba, from the Domus archive BBPR with Pietro Porcinai, masterplan for Capo di Stella, 1960

Domus 367, June 1960

Isola d'Elba, from the Domus archive BBPR with Pietro Porcinai, masterplan for Capo di Stella, 1960

Domus 367, June 1960

Isola d'Elba, from the Domus archive BBPR with Pietro Porcinai, masterplan for Capo di Stella, 1960

Domus 367, June 1960

Isola d'Elba, from the Domus archive Gio Ponti, Villas Ottagonale and Allungata in Capo Perla, 1961-62

Domus 732, November 1991

Isola d'Elba, from the Domus archive Gio Ponti, Villas Ottagonale and Allungata in Capo Perla, 1961-62

Domus 732, November 1991

Isola d'Elba, from the Domus archive Gio Ponti, Villas Ottagonale and Allungata in Capo Perla, 1961-62

Domus 732, November 1991

Isola d'Elba, from the Domus archive Gianni Pettena’s home on Isola d’Elba

Domus 944, February 2011

Isola d'Elba, from the Domus archive R. Gabetti and A. Isola, Villa S. Anna complex, Isola d’Elba, 1993

Domus 749, May 1993

Isola d'Elba, from the Domus archive R. Gabetti and A. Isola, Villa S. Anna complex, Isola d’Elba, 1993

Domus 749, May 1993

Isola d'Elba, from the Domus archive Aldo Rossi, Cabina dell’Elba

Domus 646, January 1984

"The climate is so exceptional that Capri, so famous for its sunshine, finds a rival here. Especially the coasts to the south, which are now almost wild, will be able to accommodate even in winter those who prefer Mediterranean warmth in every season”, wrote Gio Ponti with BBPR a few decades ago, showing some modernist faith in science, still probably aware, already, of one simple fact as well: that Elba is no Capri. Read more

The beautiful summer of Sabaudia

Photo Valentina Petrucci

Developed when Mussolini was in power, the town became the capital of the anti-fascist intelligentsia that in the 1960s opposed the cementing of the country with villas that still represent one of the greatest defilements of the Italian territory. Read more