5 Ways to See Italy

Amalfi Coast: Seaside Artisans

Bespoke travel agent Andrea Grisdale leads the way to the area’s best shopping.

Andrea Grisdale has visited just about every corner of Italy, yet the place that the Lake Como–based CEO of IC Bellagio keeps returning to is the Sorrentine Peninsula. “The bright blue water, fresh food, and Mediterranean sun make the Amalfi Coast one of my favorite places in the world,” says the U.K. native. “Most of all, I love the handmade ceramics: my house is full of them.” Rich with natural clay pits, the area has been known for pottery since the 13th century. Grisdale is especially partial to the tiles and dishware painted with the region’s palette: seaside azures, lemon yellows, and sunset pinks.

The center of Amalfi Coast ceramics production since medieval times has been Vietri sul Mare. At the best factory and store, Ceramica Artistica Solimene Vincenzo, a building covered in 20,000 brown and green vase bases, you’ll find crockery designed with handsome, nature-inspired motifs (grapes, lemons, flowers, foliage). Grisdale’s recent discoveries: a tapered vase with blue-and-yellow flowers and simple blue-and-white dinner plates. A 10-minute drive from Vietri takes you to Marsia Ceramiche for contemporary pieces by Salerno-born, London-trained artist Mariella Siano. Don’t miss her spherical lamps with light filtering through pinholes and her decorative agave-leaf sculptures. Ten miles to the northeast, in Monti Picentini Natural Park, Antico Cotto di Berardino De Martino is where the De Martino brothers bake terra-cotta-colored tiles in a 450-year-old wood oven. In nearby Ravello, visit Ceramiche d’Arte Factory to watch Pasquale Sorrentino create everything from lamps to tabletops in a light-filled studio. Look for vases, plates, and mugs with intricate floral designs using Sorrentino’s signature blue. Just outside Positano, Ceramica Casola never disappoints: the cheerfully decorated ceramics factory and garden are adorned with urns, plates, and tiles with fruits and flowers.

Sleep

Hotel Santa Caterina The 1850’s cliffside hotel recently added four chic bedrooms in an adjacent villa. Doubles from $631.

Palazzo Sasso Rooms at this 12th-century palazzo are filled with antiques and have unparalleled views. Doubles from $330.

Le Sirenuse This seaside classic is furnished with handmade vases and tiles. Doubles from $712.

Eat

Ristorante Don Alfonso 1890 Grisdale’s favorite restaurant serves seasonal dishes such as lobster stuffed with zucchini and eggplant. Dinner for two $270.