50 years of Villa Olivia on Ischia- Memories, Hospitality and the Changing Way of Travel

So many things have changed since 1975, the year my parents first opened the doors of Villa Olivia!
Fifty years have passed! 

I now have white hair and a few more kilos… yet the memories remain vivid and alive.
Even as I write these lines, I feel moved.

Villa Olivia and Le Dimore were born from the dream of my father and my mother. With courage, sacrifice, and endless energy, they were pioneers of self-catering in Ischia, at a time when few even knew what this formula was.

It offered the chance to enjoy a holiday at your own pace — and it still does today.

Back then, work never stopped, but the greatest satisfaction was seeing our guests return year after year: their loyalty repaid every effort.

Before the arrival of industrial laundries and the possibility of renting linen, everything was done at home.

Holidays shorter than 7 or 12 days were almost unthinkable: people came “from Saturday to Saturday,” and Friday was the great turnaround day, with laundry to be washed, hung out to dry, folded, and ironed by hand.

An immense job!

In the summer evenings, after dinner, my parents would sit under a mandarin tree to enjoy a well-deserved rest.

Sometimes they remained alone listening to the song of crickets and cicadas; other times more friends joined in, stories were shared, and a glass of fresh wine passed between friends.

Long, spontaneous tables often appeared, where everyone brought something to eat: simple, authentic dishes that became a feast thanks to conviviality.

People laughed, sang in several languages… and life felt good.

And then there is the feast of San Vito, the patron saint of Forio, which every year from June 14 to 16 enlivens the town with processions, stalls full of sweets and toys, evening concerts, and above all, spectacular fireworks, soon after sunset.

Thirty minutes of light and color that once illuminated the summer sky— and still do today.

And if you ask me the best place to admire them, I can only say: from the panoramic terrace of our Dimore. The perfect frame… unless the sea breeze decides to carry away the smoke before the grand finale!

Today the fireworks still attract many visitors to Forio; they are filmed with smartphones and instantly shared online with relatives and friends far away.

But no matter how beautiful the recordings are, the emotion is never the same as when you admire them, for example, from the panoramic terrace of one of our Dimora: L’Ulivo.

June is a beautiful month on Ischia… why not start planning your stay?