Bown's Best - Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi, Italy

AMALFI

HOTEL SANTA CATERINA

Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi, Italy If Heaven is white, it will be like the Hotel Santa Caterina in Amalfi. Arriving outside this famous hostelry – up the hill from Amalfi town, on the coastal road – I was not surprised by its handsome, white exterior. It reminded me of a grand Mediterranean villa, built perhaps around 1910. I gave the keys of my hire car to the friendly chap who rushed up to greet me, and strode inside. Then it was that I thought I might be in the presence of the cherubim and the seraphim.

Calm, spacious and exquisitely pristine – the public areas of the Santa Caterina struck me as truly ethereal. And, of course, white. Other colours intrude – from an ancient harpsichord here and from an antique table there – but the overwhelming impression is of whiteness. The sofas and easy chairs are albino bright and the marble of the statue of St Joseph is… white. I loved the dazzling brilliance of it all. And it cleanses the palate for what is through the multitude of plate glass windows: the blue of the Mediterranean Sea. For this place is set amidst some of the most beautiful coastline in Europe.

Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi, Italy I was taken down in the lift to level minus one. Then it was along a twisting corridor, past pretty wireless sets from the 1930s and ’40s (a clever use of these decorative machines) to room number 3. Classified as a junior suite (and therefore 420 euros – 770 euros a night, bed and breakfast for two, according to season), this was a huge, long, air-conditioned chamber of white (naturally) and pink. High quality ceramic tiles were much in evidence, not only in the bathroom but also on the floor of the sleeping and sitting areas, and they contributed much to the pleasant sense of coolness. I liked, too, the gilt metal wall lights – their flamboyant swirls added elegance and fun to the decorative scheme. They contained 16 bulbs, which number gives some idea of the size of the chamber they were required to illuminate.

In my bathroom was a separate shower of circular form and an oval bath. The latter shape, I must confess, now fits my frame all too well. A cloakroom by the door to the corridor contained the loo and the bidet. The beds were both comfortable and large, and the standard of the housekeeping was commendably high. This was, you will have concluded properly, accommodation of the highest standard.

Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi, Italy But, tease that I am, I have yet to mention what was its most impressive feature. After a good night’s sleep, I would pad over to the glass door, slide it back, push open the dark green shutters, and step out onto my terrace. And then I would gaze at what was laid out before me in the morning sunshine: the Amalfi Coast. Sea and cliffs and greenery and houses and churches and little boats – all set out as if for the painter’s canvas. My eyes felt privileged to view this daily scene.

And the joy continued over breakfast, for the windows of the dining room take full advantage of the serene grandeur outside. A good buffet is provided. Smart waiters in white jackets brought me silver pots of coffee and tasty omelettes. Here, as throughout the hotel, I noticed the high quality of the surroundings and the excellence of every aspect of what was being provided. I can also report that the members of the waiting staff were both friendly and efficient. After I had finished peeling a clementine, there appeared on my table, unsolicited, a finger bowl. Such attention to detail pleases me no end – and is a tribute to the General Manager, Armando di Palma, whose family has been running this establishment for four generations.

That family clearly enjoys its green fingers. On no account should you miss a wander around the gardens. They are extensive. I took the private lift to the terraces of lemon trees, which cascade down to the hotel’s swimming pool. I had not thought through the implication of the lift’s position. It is on the outside of the cliff… I suddenly had the sensation of falling, unsupported, towards the sea below. The vertigo was but momentary, and my reward was ample: to wander beneath a clear sky, to the sound of the waves gently caressing the rocks, with the aesthetic wonder of the coastline all about.

Later, with the help of the hotel’s courtesy shuttle to and from the town’s seafront, I explored Amalfi. The cathedral is a daunting prospect for those of us who do not like steps, but it is worth the climb up to the façade. In its crypt – a place of pilgrimage – is the body of the Apostle, St Andrew. And in the ‘old’ cathedral (next door to the ‘new’ one, and now a museum) is one of the most impressive mediaeval garments I have ever seen – the Angevin Mitre. Made in 1297, this item of episcopal headgear contains 19,000 pearls. I pondered this fact as I tucked into a rum baba in the small back room of the well-run tea shop (Andrea Pansa) on the Piazza Duomo. More substantial fare waited for me back at the Santa Caterina.

Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi, Italy I was startled to find the evening view from the restaurant nearly as good as its morning cousin. As the far-off lights twinkled, I sat back and enjoyed my surroundings. The blue marble floor, white tablecloths and good glassware (marked ‘BR’ – an Italian make, new to me) raised my expectations. They were not disappointed. Some excellent dishes came from the kitchen of chef Domenico Cuomo. For Signor Cuomo knows how to combine lovely ingredients to good effect.

Steamed prawns with spinach came with fried rolls of aubergine, filled with shrimps. Here was a pretty sight – with green and gold and red and pink – and the tastes were all spot-on. Then courgette ravioli, with ricotta cheese and a lemon cream sauce, were even better – rich and flavoursome. Chateaubriand with béarnaise sauce brought super meat (tender and bloody), super chips (fluffy inside) and super carrots (firm and sweet) – a super dish. Standards dipped a little for the lemon soufflé, but, overall, this was a most impressive and enjoyable meal. (95 euros for these four courses.)

The wine list offers around 500 choices, from an Umbrian white at 16 euros to 1998 Haut Brion at 420 euros. I was helped with my selection by the admirable maitre d’, Pino Francese. Properly dressed in black tie, Signor Francese recommended a local white, made from the grape first brought to the region by the Greeks. This particular Greco di Tufo (Vigna Cicogna, Benito Ferrara, 2003 – 28 euros) possessed the fullness of body, and a decent sherbet nose, to be an ideal partner for the ravioli. My red was one of the great wines of Tuscany, Sassicaia, in its 1998 vintage and at the bargain price of 130 euros. This still has another 5 years before it will come to perfection, but – after decanting – it zoomed from the glass and into my nostrils with captivating earthiness and masses of red and black fruit. Heavenly drinking.

Appropriate for this heavenly place. If I ever make it to Heaven, I will be content if it turns out to be like the white palace which is the Hotel Santa Caterina in Amalfi.

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