Torre di Clavel - Overview

Torre di Clavel is one of the most storied homes in Positano, a fascinating player in a millennium of history unfolding on a sentry spot at the edge of Positano's harbor. Now, this distinctive and special home is available for rental to families and friends who will appreciate its exceptional character and the memorable experiences it will engender.

This is not a conventional home, built as it has been on a promontory. The house spreads over multiple levels, connected by open-air paths and hallways hewn from stone. Surrounded on three sides by water, the glinting light diving in through every window, the house is as much about being outside as in. The sprawling layout is ideal for a larger group that seeks both shared and private spaces. Your stay is enhanced by an exceptional staff, with long personal connections to this particular home, who are happy to share their love of this dramatic and unique property.

The site now occupied by the Torre di Clavel began as a fortress during the occupation of the Saracens in the 1200's and was much destroyed and mostly deserted when a colorful Swiss hunchback named Clavel made it his home at the turn of the 20th century. In reconstructing the tower around 1927, Clavel introduced Positano to cement. Fashioning the building to his taste, he designed and built the wood furniture, in a simple, uncluttered style, much of which remains at the property today.

In the last years, the owners have concentrated on upgrading and modernizing their ancestral home. Bathrooms were all refurbished, new kitchens fitted, floors retiled. The design of the house is such that three groups can each enjoy their own kitchen, sitting room and sleeping accommodation, or gather together to dine and relax together. The Torre di Clavel is designed to be a carefree and comfortable home, for casual seaside living. The appealing decor and inherently interesting layout, with its many corridors, stairs and terraces, is most suitable for those looking for an authentic Italian holiday without pretense or affectation.

The presence of the sea and the commanding coastline of the Amalfi Coast is an essential part of the character of this home. From virtually every window comes the sound of the surf and a vista of the rugged coastline. There are spaces sunny in the morning, and those sunny in the afternoon. There are rooms for children to relax, watch a movie, be among themselves, and other spaces more suitable for adults gathering for limoncello or a pre-dinner aperitivo. All these many details are a function of the position of Torre di Clavel at the edge of Positano, which provides the singular benefit of allowing you ready access to the delights of the village but only when you want. When you choose to be at home, there is an extraordinary privacy and tranquility that still allows for plenty of activity.

Edged with roses, impatiens and geraniums overflowing their built-in planters, the walkways are an essential means of moving from room to room throughout the property. Open to the sky and hewn from the rough limestone hillside, the outdoors presents a relaxed, somewhat rugged style entirely suitable to this distinctive home. There are three principal terraces plus a private descent on a characteristic narrow staircase, to the sunny beach. While all beaches along the Amalfi Coast are public beaches, this beach can only be reached by others via boat, and when it is occupied by guests of the house, people tend to move on to the next, likely deserted, cove. The beach is equipped with chairs and beds; there is a bathroom with hot/cold shower at the top of the stairs, for refreshing before or after a swim. For excursions by private boat hire along the coast or to Capri, Amalfi/Ravello and Sorrento, there is a private boat landing at the entrance to the property. Above the house, on an upper terrace, the owners have constructed a straw-shaded platform with simple weight-training equipment. No matter where you find yourself on the grounds, the views are truly breathtaking, encompassing the full sweep from east to west, and including an animating view of Positano with its colorful harbor and the characteristic tiled dome of its principal church.