Il Dolce Far Niente (There’s Sweetness in Doing Nothing)

This year, Grand Hotel Miramare celebrates its 120th anniversary. We’ve distilled the past twelve decades into twelve principles that now guide our approach to life. Each principle is a lesson learned from each decade, with our eighth principle below covering 1973 to 1982.

After the glamour and style of the 1960s, the 70s was a challenging and transformative decade for Italy.

Characterised by political unrest, economic difficulty and social change, this period is often referred to as the Years of Lead - a reference to the number of shootings that occurred. Incidents of political terrorism and violence were all too common.

More positively, the 70s was also a time of cultural awakening and social movement. The young embraced new ideas, music and fashion - challenging traditional norms and values - while the women's rights movement gained momentum.

Against this backdrop of busyness, it’s perhaps no surprise that locals and travellers sought refuge by the pool and at the beach.

‘Villeggiatura’ was on the rise - a term defined as a prolonged stay in the countryside. Villeggiatura was more than just a holiday though. It was a time to rest, recharge, and enjoy a range of outdoor activities - all in one place.

This was especially true at Grand Hotel Miramare as guests revelled in moments of understated joy by the hotel pool (with its unique shape a rarity at the time, and still today).

Enjoying some ‘me time’ - an alien concept before the 70s - was becoming increasingly popular, and this leads us to our eighth lesson for life: il dolce far niente. Or in English: there’s sweetness in doing nothing.

This principle conveys the pleasure of idleness, relaxation and leisure. The joy of taking time to savour life’s simple moments and be at peace. And the beauty of indulging in the present without the pressures of everyday life.

This was key to life at Grand Hotel Miramare in the 70s, but it still holds true today.

Grand Hotel Miramare offers a true Italian lifestyle and coastal way of life where you can find moments of unburdened bliss, boundless energy and genuine contentment. We want guests to experience both the vibrant delights and slow pleasures of life, even when they’re doing nothing. After all, that’s where the sweetness lies!