Design & interiors

From the Roman quarries of Italy to traditional trulli in Puglia, the Mediterranean offers some truly gorgeous wonders of architecture and design. Here are eight of our favourites, plus villas designed by some of the best creative designers worldwide.

Lucy Laucht, an English photographer, has just published a dreamily evocative book of photos entitled Il Dolce Far Niente: the Italian Way of Summer. To celebrate the launch, we interviewed her to find out more about her inspiration, her passion for life in southern Italy, and why she’s included two of our villas - Rocca delle Tre Contrade and Casino Doxi Stracca - in her book.

With Archaeologists in Sicily dating pottery back to at least 2,400BCE, we explore the rich history and multi-national influences behind Sicilian ceramics.

Nestled in the heart of Puglia's rolling countryside, trulli houses stand as one of Italy's most extraordinary architectural marvels. These distinctive cone-shaped limestone dwellings, with their mystical whitewashed walls and grey stone roofs, have captured the imagination of travellers for centuries. From their humble beginnings as peasant dwellings to their current status as UNESCO World Heritage sites and luxury holiday retreats, trulli houses represent a unique blend of history, craftsmanship, and Mediterranean charm.

Liberty style, or Art Nouveau design, takes on a whole new aesthetic on Sicily's historic buildings. Read more on the rise of Liberty style in the city of Palermo.