The legendary film director Francis Ford Coppola opened an Italian resort located in the town of Bernalda, Italy; the authentic 19th century palazzo has been completely renovated by Italian architect Bart Conterio in collaboration with French designer Jacques Grange. The overall vibe of the resort is very visitor friendly but a luxurious experience at the same time, the owners’ promise visitors will be treated more like friends or neighbors rather than a tourist.
“I never initially dreamed of opening a resort in Italy, let alone in the town of my grandfather Agostino Coppola,” said Francis Ford Coppola. “Yet when I purchased and designed the new Palazzo Margherita for friends and family to call home in Italy, I knew I needed to extend the property and surrounding village of ‘Bernalda bella’ to my guests as well.”
The building was restored by Bart Conterio with a sustainable approach and based on the principles of green building design, using materials and products of natural origin with low environmental impact; the interior is styled with tiled floors and hand painted fresco ceilings with a taste of Moroccan and Baroque flair, furnished with furniture and exotic tiles personally designed by Jacques Grange. The resort has nine large suites, many of the rooms feature a large terrace or balcony facing the gardens. The gardens are full of lush and semi-tropical planting, completed with a magnificent fountain and private swimming pool.