About
Overlooking the Bay of Naples, this majestic property rises sheer above the sea on a cliff. With arguably one of the greatest views in the world and a splendor rarely seen, both inside and outside, Villa Astor has quite rightfully been labeled “Paradise”. With a long history that can be traced back to the 1st century A.D., when Agrippa Postumus, grandson of Emperor Augustus, first made it his residence, Villa Astor has long been a home and a destination for the rich and noble. Purchased by one of the wealthiest men at the time, Lord William Waldorf Astor, in 1905, the Villa became his passion project as he enlarged the territory and designed a splendid garden at the back of the house where a Dominican monastery once stood. His final addition to the property was the “Pompeiian” villa, which he decorated with Ionic columns and neo-classical frescoes by a Roman artist, Mario Spinetti. After his death, the Villa underwent a period of obscurity, though even during this time it still attracted notable figures, such as Benedetto Croce, the revered Italian philosopher and politician, who lived there during the Second World War. In the 1970s, Villa Astor was acquired by a wealthy family, Mariano Pane and his wife, who welcomed many illustrious guests including Princess Margaret, Rudolf Nuriev, Gregory Peck, Sofia Loren, Franco Zeffirelli and Gianni Agnelli. Today, Villa Astor sets the benchmark for luxury accommodation on Amalfi Coast and has been named as a dream vacation home by many luxury lifestyle and travel publications such as Town & Country, Quintessence, Forbes, Bloomberg and the Telegraph.
