Alfonso and Livia Iaccarino have created their beautiful restaurant, guesthouse and cooking school on the site of the family home. In 1890 Alfonso Costanza Iaccarino, the grandfather of the present day Alfonso returned to S’Agata sui due Golfi after years of living in America.
The restaurant was started in 1973 and has become one of the best in southern Italy. Don Alfonso is supplied with fresh produce from their own farm, tomatoes, basil, olives, lemons etc, all organically grown. Livia, Alfonso and their sons, Ernesto and Mario serve fresh, understated, unmistakably Italian food at its best.
All this is in the most beautiful setting. This really is one of the loveliest places I have seen.
The kitchen is a dream.
As well as the restaurant Livia and Alfonso have built heavenly rooms to stay in.
The entrance to the hotel.
Each room has a different colour scheme and every piece of furniture and each item in the rooms has been carefully chosen.
Welcome to the pink room.
Waiting for you in the yellow room.
And the lavender room.
Take a look at that view!!
The gardens are gorgeous as well.
These beautiful old tiles surround the pool.
Even the outdoor oven is beautiful.
This lovely old urn sits outside the entrance to the cooking school.
I think this would have to be the best looking school I have ever seen.
Livia took me through her wonderful establishment and proudly told me how much care has been put into everything that happens at Don Alfonso. My first husband, Angelo grew up with Livia and Alfonso. I did meet them in 1973 but I had never visited the restaurant before. I was lucky to get a photo of the couple before Alfonso headed off to Milan on business.
Livia and Alfonso
I didn’t get to see the underground cellar, which was first excavated by the Etruscans. It is stocked with wines from all over the world, around 25,000 bottles. There is also a cheese aging room 25 metres underground.
I would love to be able to tell you about the food, but the restaurant was booked out with a private function when I was there. I will be going back.
Thank you Livia for showing me your beautiful place. I hope we meet again soon.
Not so sure about the mauve bedroom, but love those kitchen tiles,
By: Richard Tulloch on January 4, 2012
at 10:03 pm
The bedrooms were beautiful. I didn’t see all of them, but those I saw were amazing. Every tiny detail was perfect. I could live in the kitchen.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 4, 2012
at 10:11 pm
They should hire you!!! This was an amazing commercial for this place-what town is it near? I may be South in April. Thank you for the lovely pictures!!
By: Melonie Carideo on January 4, 2012
at 10:07 pm
S’Agata is between Sorrento and Positano. I lived there many years ago with my first husband, Angelo, who is a friend of Livia and Alfonso. This place is absolutely beautiful!!!
There is a post on Angelo’s family called the Best of Italy and I will do another on the village of S’Agata.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 4, 2012
at 10:18 pm
Lovely!
By: Sue Austin on January 4, 2012
at 10:07 pm
Everything about Don Alfonso is lovely.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 4, 2012
at 10:19 pm
What a funky place. Fun colours and I love the pool and tiles. They’ve made the old and new work together really well. Great post.
By: From a Tuscan Villa on January 4, 2012
at 10:10 pm
Some of the tiles were very old. Each piece has been carefully chosen.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 4, 2012
at 10:19 pm
What a great post- thank you. Think I’ll put this place on my bucket list for my next trip to Italy. Magnificent!
By: Diane on January 4, 2012
at 10:58 pm
I’m sure you will love it! S’Agata is also a great centra place from where you can go to Sorrento, Positano and other gorgeous places along thr Amalfi Coast.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 5, 2012
at 6:17 am
This is so beautiful dear Debra, I fall in love… Thank you for these beautiful photographs… With my love, nia
By: niasunset on January 4, 2012
at 11:32 pm
Don Alfonso is heavenly. I would love to stay there.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 5, 2012
at 6:18 am
Gorgeous tiles!
I’d love an Italian cooking class.
By: linneabylinneanilsson on January 4, 2012
at 11:55 pm
I think a cooking class in that kitchen would be excellent.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 5, 2012
at 6:18 am
Wow, Deb, what a great place. Love the colored rooms! Goodness, it was fun to see this! And yes, the tiles around the pool are gorgeous!
Kathy
By: Kathryn McCullough on January 5, 2012
at 12:15 am
I can see myself lying by that pool, while somebody wafts past with a tray of lovely things to eat.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 5, 2012
at 6:19 am
what an interesting place! the rooms are very unique and i love the tiles!! great post – I will be back to read more! 🙂
By: themonicastoreblog on January 5, 2012
at 12:25 am
This place is truly beautiful.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 5, 2012
at 6:20 am
I love the colours, the flowers, the pottery, the tiles and everything else I see in these images. It must be a wonderful place to take a cookery course.
By: Just Add Attitude on January 5, 2012
at 12:45 am
Isn’t that cooking school kitchen amazing???
By: Debra Kolkka on January 5, 2012
at 6:20 am
What a gorgeous, gorgeous place!
By: Julie on January 5, 2012
at 12:54 am
I could move in and never leave.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 5, 2012
at 6:21 am
I love the colour schemes! The pink is just stunning but then I saw the yellow and that stole my heart too!
By: Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella on January 5, 2012
at 4:03 am
There was also a sage room which must be beautiful as well.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 5, 2012
at 6:21 am
Really looks like a very nice place. Love the lavender room and the old tiles around the pool.
🙂
By: maru on January 5, 2012
at 4:59 am
It would be difficult to choose a room as they are all beautiful.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 5, 2012
at 6:22 am
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By: Beautiful Don Alfonso in S'Agata « Bagni di Lucca and Beyond | Around Tuscany - Accomodation in Tuscany on January 5, 2012
at 5:03 am
I’ve always wondered what this restaurant was like so it’s great to see it through your eyes. Can’t wait to hear about the food!
By: jenny@atasteoftravel on January 5, 2012
at 5:38 am
I am hoping to go back to S’Agata in March. Don Alfonso is on my list of must do things.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 5, 2012
at 6:23 am
Striped tiles, fierce!
By: linneabylinneanilsson on January 5, 2012
at 11:31 pm
I love all the tiles in Don Alfonso.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 6, 2012
at 12:03 am
Debra, love it, so over to the top in parts, can you send me their website address. Roz
By: Roz on January 6, 2012
at 4:10 am
I thought you might like that cooking school. The link is at the bottom of the post. http://www.donalfonso.com
By: Debra Kolkka on January 6, 2012
at 5:30 am
Wonderful, so beautiful. I am speechless about all those lovely things I saw. I just wonder which kind of dreams I would see in pink room.
This was very interesting a lovely post.
By: Sartenada on January 6, 2012
at 7:39 am
I’m sure you dreams would all be pink.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 6, 2012
at 9:42 am
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By: Beautiful Italy « photographyofnia on January 6, 2012
at 12:11 pm
Debra, thanks for this. Pretty sure he is a distant cousin. The ‘T’ at the begining of my last name was an I originally before my grandfather emigrated. My grandfather was from Meta and grandmother from Sorrento both just below S’agata. Hope your holidays were wonderful.
By: Martha on January 8, 2012
at 4:31 pm
I lived in S’Agata in 1973 and my son was born in Sorrento.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 8, 2012
at 8:21 pm
What a feast of photos, Debra! Thanks for sharing this magical place with us.
John: TheDailyGraff.com
By: J. A. Robinson on January 10, 2012
at 3:34 am
Wouldn’t you love to stay there???
By: Debra Kolkka on January 10, 2012
at 9:55 pm
Not just stay, Debra. I’d like to live/retire there!
By: J. A. Robinson on January 11, 2012
at 12:42 pm
It is very beautiful. i wouldn’t mind living there as well.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 11, 2012
at 8:41 pm