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... is losing its distinctive character

First put on the map by 19th-century Grand Tour travelers, the Amalfi Coast has recently come under assault by international hotel chains. One by one, its richly atmospheric hotels, veritable time machines that offer sepia-toned dreams of the past, have given way to grotesque face-lifts, all in the name of progress. This is especially tragic in that last outpost of old-world refinement, Ravello.

First, the Palazzo Sesso was Las Vegasized by Richard Branson with the addition of hot tubs on the roof, glass elevators, and roaring fountains with Playboy Mansion statuary. Then the Orient-Express luxury chain eviscerated the magical Hotel Caruso-Belvedere, trading its antiques and lace-trimmed ambience for dreary rattan sofas seen from Kansas to Katmandu, beige-on-beige cocktail lounges, and, almost prosecutable, destroying the fabled medieval Belvedere Window, seen on a 1,001 travel posters, by encasing it alive within a plastic Lucite wall.

Next up was the Hotel Cappuccini Convento in Amalfi, which once delighted Longfellow and Wagner, dukes and duchesses. Now, contempo furniture and art, supermodern facilities, and other high-rolling luxuries have displaced the royal sense of civility this hotel used to have. Happily, word is that they have left untouched much of the historic magic of this place.

There may be still some hotels left on the Costiera Divina that retain the patina of the past—but hurry!

... has its economic ups and downs

While the north has developed relatively rapidly in the past 50 years, the Italian entrepreneurial spirit in the south struggles to make good. Despite a pool of relatively cheap, willing labor, foreign investment across the entire south is merely one-tenth of that going to the northern region of Lombardy alone. The discrepancy can be attributed in large part to the stifling presence of organized crime. Each major region has its own criminal association: in Naples, it’s the Camorra. The system creates add-on costs at many levels, especially in retail.

It’s not all bad news though. Southern Italy has woken up to its major asset, its remarkable cultural and natural heritage. UNESCO lists 14 World Heritage Sites in southern Italy alone, while the last decade has seen the creation of several national parks, marine parks, and regional nature preserves. Environmental and cultural associations have mushroomed as locals increasingly perceive the importance of preserving across the generations. In general, the small average farm size in the south has helped preserve a pleasing mosaic of habitats in the interior.

... is attracting visitors

Tourism is on the rise in Puglia and Basilicata, while Campania—traditionally the biggest tourist region—has had some adversity, largely due to the black eye of garbage-collection problems in Naples. Sicily still pulls nature lovers and adventure seekers who cycle or hike its rugged terrain, and Calabria remains largely a beach holiday destination crowded only from mid-July through August. Religious tourism accounts for large visitor flows throughout the year—as many visitors pay their respects to the Madonna di Pompei sanctuary as they do to the archaeological site up the road. In almost every village and town in southern Italy you’re likely to see the bearded statue of Capuchin priest Padre Pio.

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