Villa Ceselle: a night in a piece of the history of Capri

Some stories contain all the ingredients to leave breathless all those who listen: the plot of love, the adventurous element, a bittersweet finish. They’re so perfect they look like fairy tales, and yet they actually really happened.

One of these is the story of Villa Ceselle, the beautiful villa in Anacapri, that has been transformed into a charming hotel run by the Maresca family. The building was part of a more complex structure, a typical colonial house consisting of a series of outbuildings. The villa began to function as a hotel in the late 1920s, at the behest of Knight Mazzarella, owner at the time and former mayor of Anacapri, and his second wife Asta Sondergaard Nielsen. The structure soon became the favourite meeting place of intellectuals and artists who, during the Second World War, sought there refuge from totalitarian regimes.

When, 12 years ago, the Maresca family decided to buy the central block, they let themselves be enchanted by its charm, by its austere appearance, by the huge vaults that characterize the structure. However, the building was in a serious state of neglect; restoration work was necessary, which did not alter the external structure at all, but adapted the interior to the needs of a modern hotel, with a breakfast room, a large lobby and various rooms. Thanks to these interventions, Villa Ceselle, which in the past hosted famous personalities such as Alberto Moravia and Elsa Morante, and was also inserted in a path of historic villas on the island, has returned to its splendor.

Today the structure has a double function of holiday home and hotel. It offers 10 rooms and three apartments, a rich breakfast and a 24-hour reception. Other services are the assistance of a concierge for any need of customers, including help to organize your holiday on the island. The structure is naturally linked to the restaurant da Gelsomina: guests can enjoy the rich traditional menu and the pool with a discount reserved for them.

An ideal location, on the road of the blue grotto and 5 minutes away from the historic center, beautiful for the eyes but also convenient to reach, also thanks a shuttle service established through an agreement with a local transport company for guests, arriving directly at the property.

Gelsomina Maresca, daughter of the owners Michele and Teresa, together with her parents and her brother Raffaele gave life to this beautiful villa and tells us about the idea behind the project of Villa Ceselle: “We are looking forward to a boutique hotel, which offers our guests high-end services. It was an important investment, but it is paying off: the customers are satisfied with the services we offer and, aiming at a specific target, we can distinguish ourselves among the many other accommodation activities on the island, focusing on quality and possibility, for those who choose Villa Ceselle, to fully immerse themselves in a piece of the history of Capri”.