gallipoli, italy
Yes, there are the standard stops to hit when in Italy — the Vatican, Florence, Venice’s charming canals — but count us among those looking for something different. Which is why we were pretty excited to hear that this week’s profile subject, Pierluca De Carlo, owns a B&B in Gallipoli. The southern Italian town that has its roots in 230 BC is split into two — old and new —with a bridge built in the 1900s connecting each side. De Carlo’s Atlas Gallipoli is in the old town, a warren of rooms — only 10 in all — each appointed with furniture sourced on eBay. The rooms are booked out months in advance, so thinking about summer 2018 now is worthwhile. De Carlo also has plans to turn the place into an artists-in-residence program for at-risk teens for a few months. The idea is to allow them to create art — visual, musical, even culinary — “to give them something that makes them feel proud. They can paint it and put it out there — and it’ll be our show. I think a big part of my life is going to be this.” We’re already checking our calendars.