CASTELLO BROWN, PORTOFINO

After Milan, we spent a few days in Liguria, one of my favourite parts of Italy. Yesterday we drove along the coast to Portofino to visit the Castello Brown, a historic Genoese fortress built in the sixteenth century and transformed into a private residence in 1867 by British diplomat (Genova’s English Consul) Montague Yeats Brown. The location is beautiful : the castle, perched high on the rock, overlooks the sea from three directions – it is almost like being on an island. The castle is available to rent and it must make a beautiful setting for receptions but from an interior design point of view the visit was slightly disappointing as the inside is not particularly remarkable. Although I did love the terrazzo floor in one of the rooms.

The best thing is undoubtedly the view and the walk up the path from the village to the castle and then back through the castle grounds.