Down the street, the couple’s 600-square-foot apartment overflows with books on every surface. “We have the habit of passing books to each other,” Antonio says. Their current read, Stalingrad by Vasily Grossman, follows the suffering of Russian families at the end of WW II—for Antonio, it helps to keep their current situation in perspective.
An assortment of family heirlooms and objects collected from travels occupy the tiny living space, where every nook is utilized. “It seemed to be a logical place,” Carla rationalizes on the vessels of various liqueurs and gin that sit snug in a marble fireplace decorated with inlaid stone. An ornamental horse cover, used during tribal ceremonies in Iran, hangs on one wall. An array of semiprecious stone spheres carved by Carla’s father, Lodovico Paravicini, rest on the bookcases, while a small print by Hungarian artist Rita Ackermann leans against the wall.
But perhaps the most awe-inspiring element of the apartment is the ocean view framed by a palo borracho tree, geraniums, and roses. The couple’s recent morning routine includes breakfast on the balcony, sipping Darjeeling tea out of a Fortnum & Mason tea set gifted by a friend while listening to Mia Moretti’s recently curated playlist for Le Sirenuse. This iconic image of the Amalfi coastline attracts roughly 5 million tourists each year. But for the first time in many years, Positano’s summertime will be experienced only by its 4,000 residents. “We live in a beautiful place,” Carla says. “Just watching the view is inspiring. And now you only hear the waves and the birds’ songs. So it is pretty magical.”
Carla’s inspiration is channeled into various business ventures, including her lifestyle brand, Emporio Sirenuse. Her team celebrates a just-launched collaboration with Ancient Greek Sandals as well as an eco-friendly line of “essential pieces” made in Italy, which will be presented with her forthcoming resort collection.
More Great Stories From Vanity Fair
— Cover Story: Princess Anne Opens Up About Her Lifetime as a Royal
— How Donald Trump Almost Killed My Husband
— Silence in the Streets: Dispatches From New York City Under Lockdown
— Jimmy Rackover Murder Saga: The True Story of Joey Comunale’s Death
— Keith McNally Survived Coronavirus and Has No Idea What New York Nightlife Will Look Like After This
— What to Expect When Meghan Markle’s Tabloid Trial Begins
— From the Archive: The Green Revolution As Forged by Fashion, Venture Capitalists, Rockers, and Hoteliers
Looking for more? Sign up for our daily newsletter and never miss a story.