An escape from a frenetic life almost always includes a holiday with a hotel booking. But for celebrated Italian opera tenor Andrea Bocelli, taking a vacation is to come to his hotel-turned-home, a villa on the idyllic coast of Tuscany where he was born and raised. Despite all the countries his singing has taken him to, for Andrea Bocelli, being under the Tuscan skies and amidst the sounds and smells of countryside brings the sensation of standing in the most beautiful place in the world.
The sea has always captivated Bocelli and has been his safe haven since a child, a place for freedom and incredible silence. Most of his boyhood memories include running on the beach towards the waves with his brother Alberto, while their father would prepare the boat for adventures with the family. Ever since, the sea has been his place to relax and recharge. And it was this love for the ocean that made the Villa Alpemare an almost instant decision to be the perfect home for the Bocelli family.
The elegant powder pink 8,000 square foot villa is located off the coast of Versilia, the same region that Bocelli was born and grew up in. With serene views of the Apuan Alps and the ocean as well, it didn’t take much time to convince Bocelli into buying it.
During Architectural Digest’s visit to profile the Bocelli home, Bocelli said: “For a choice as important as buying your home, I think we have to call on not only our rationality but also our instinct. I sensed that this was the home where I would raise my children, and I bought it.”
The villa enchanted and assured the family that it would accommodate their lifestyle and needs. To AD, Bocelli said, “I really liked its location and the fact that it was an elegant yet unpretentious house – a welcoming home that is large enough for us to live and work in, make music, and host many friends.” The villa previously served as a hotel after World War II till the late 90s for tourists wanting to visit the surrounding area of the seaside town Forte Dei Marmi. Therefore, before the hotel’s transformation, it came with existing large gathering spaces of grandeur that were decided to be kept for the villa.
Before making the purchase and to understand how to personalise the hotel into a home, Andrea Bocelli sought advice from his brother Alberto, a renowned architect who knew his brother’s and his family’s needs intimately. Villa Alepmare’s renovation process later became a year-long family affair with Alberto’s architectural skills and Andrea Bocelli’s wife Veronica Berti who took a lead on the interiors.
Corresponding to the three levels of the villa, the house was divided into three separate zones for the rooms. Common spaces such as the living and dining rooms remained on the first floor. Bocelli’s studio, office rooms and guest rooms were on the second floor, and the third floor included the family’s private spaces and bedrooms. The renovation included upgrading the heating, water and electrical systems. All the flooring in the home was redone as well and new windows were installed. The quaint wrought iron railings and pale pink stucco walls were left alone enduring its sense of charm.
Berti Bocelli work during the renovation left a spell on the villa that made the interiors seem to be in a musical flow. With curvilinear shapes and great attention given to every detail in furnishing, she brought warmth to every space. Admiringly, the couple shared similar views on designs and a comforting, familial ambience was created in the home to house them, their two sons Amos and Matteo, their daughter Virginia and loving pets.
The Villa Alpemare is not the only estate the couple own in Versilia. In 2017, the Bocelli family purchased the beach resort across the street from their home known as the Alpemare beach club. The existing resort was restored and redesigned by Alberto Bocelli as well, along with designer Alberto Bartalini. As stylish as the superstar of opera, sleek white tents and massage tables line the coast along with numerous eye-catching cabanas for the club guests. The beach club achieved a perfect balance between tradition and innovation, and contributed appreciable value to Forte dei Marmi and the whole of Versilia.
The Bocelli family has also shown their love towards the sea and historical structures in the USA with the purchase of a colonial-style contemporary home in North Miami, Keystone Point. The beautiful home with warm yellow walls looking over Biscayne Bay only took 12 hours to convince them to purchase it back in 2013. The family enjoys warmth, humidity and spending time in the outdoors. And that is just what the Miami home provides with outdoor areas, a dock on the bay, a large living room by the pool and elegant, comforting family-friendly rooms. Just like their Tuscan villa, the Miami home met their aspirations for any home to be ‘elegant yet unpretentious.
References
Izon, J. (2019, June 6). Andrea Bocelli’s Seaside Palace Is an Italian Dream. Architectural Digest, [online] Retrieved from: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/andrea-bocelli-villa-tuscany
Schmidt, M. (2019, June 6). See Inside Andrea Bocelli’s ‘Elegant Yet Unpretentious’ Seaside Villa in Italy. People Magazine, [online] Retrieved from: https://people.com/home/see-inside-andrea-bocellis-elegant-yet-unpretentious-seaside-villa-in-italy/
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