Sensitive to the enchanting landscape of granite rocks and lush eucalyptus, juniper and myrtle trees, the Aga Khan transformed the area into a paradisiacal place where the wonders of nature coexist with the most luxurious accommodations, activities and services imaginable. To that end he formed the Emerald Coast Architectural Committee, which commissioned renowned architect Jacques Couelle to build the Hotel Cala di Volpe.
An honorary member of the prestigious Institut de France Academy of Fine Arts, Jacques Couelle is an undisputed genius. The Cala di Volpe, completed in 1963, is an architectural masterpiece that has transformed the coastal area into one of the most popular resorts for VIPs, royal families, and international celebrities.
The hotel’s interior is designed like an old Mediterranean fishing village, where terracotta roofs, turrets, porticos and overflowing bougainvillea terraces coexist. The interiors give way to Couelle’s extraordinary surrealist vision. Explosions of Mediterranean-inspired colors accentuate the white stucco. Angled vaults and columns support the stunning wood-beamed ceilings. Curved walls lead to corner corridors and winding staircases, while large stone walls recall the wind-eroded rocks that characterize the landscape. Magnificent Sardinian handicrafts celebrate the venerable tradition of hand weaving, wood carving, and tile making, which have thrived for centuries in this region. The effect adds up to an environment of dynamic proportions, grand yet intimate, rustic yet undeniably sophisticated.
Jacques Couelle’s son, Sauvin, followed in his father’s footsteps. The villas designed by Sauvin throughout the Emerald Coast are world-famous and highly coveted. In 2001 and 2008, Sauvin oversaw the restoration of the Cala di Volpe, employing exclusively Sardinian skilled workers to bring his complex technical ideas to life, yet remaining true to the original spirit of the work created by his father.
