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 A masterpiece of the Neapolitan 17th century, the Grand Hotel Cocumella was built as a convalescent retreat for Jesuits who, as a joke, dedicated the edifice to the nymph Colomelide. A splendid oasis of peace overlooking the Bay of Sorrento, with its centuries' old allure charmed many a guest from the Duke of Wellington to even Goethe. |
 Once upon a time an enchanted garden on the Sorrentine Peninsula hid an ancient secret: the gift of the nymph Colomeide (to whom the gods had entrusted the care of the garden), to all those who had crossed the threshold of that magical place and who had known how to find “the silence”. And that precious gift is still there: it is in the soul of the Grand Hotel Cocumella, situated in a centuries-old park which spreads out as far as the sea. |
 An island of peace, a kilometre away from the centre of Sorrento. The destination of distinguished travellers such as Goethe, Andersen, Freud, the Duke of Wellington, Moravia and many more who treasured accounts appear in the old signatures book, the Grand Hotel Cocumella still retains the charm and the architecture of its 17th century convent origins. |
 History
In 1597 the pious and generous Gianvincenzo De Angelis donated to the Neapolitan Jesuits, seventeen “maggi” (one “maggio” is equivalent to a third of a hectare) of fertile land, orchards and citrus groves, all sloping towards the sea of Sorrento. Only in 1637 was the Sorrentine residence of the Jesuits inaugurated. It was intended as a rest place, and on the donor’s request, a school of Latin grammar. They called it Cocumella. |
 The learned father Niccola Partenio Giannattasio- who between the 600’ and 700’s pursued encyclopedic studies, composed poems and erected the Chapel in honour of the Virgin Mary - maintained that the name came from “Cuccuma” the terracotta vase used in the region to hold the water. As confirmation, the famous stone well used to take water from the underlying cistern which dates back to the Roman era rests where it originally was three and a half centuries ago – at the center of the luminous cloister. |
 In 1730 the residence was suspended and only the Latin school remained. The Jesuits were expelled from the Kingdom of Naples in 1767 and the complex was handed over the Crown which in 1771, established the first Sorrentine sailing school. In 1789 in exchange for 10,800 ducats, Pietro Antonia Gargiulo took over the building. Descendants of Gargiulo founded the hotel in 1822, making it the oldest building for the rest and amusement on the Sorrentine Peninsula. |
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