Every summer, the world descends upon the Amalfi Coast, its vertiginous villages clinging to cliffs above the deep blue Tyrrhenian Sea. Little do they know that just a three-hour drive across the Italian peninsula, on the country’s often-overlooked eastern shore, lies its quieter, wilder twin.
This is the Gargano, a spur of land jutting into the Adriatic, where the same dramatic roads weave not through traffic, but through the dense, cool expanse of the Umbra Forest, opening onto spectacular coastal vistas. The sea here is not a deep blue, but a mesmerizing, shallow olive green, its clear waters revealing a seabed that gently slopes, making it ideal for families.
The coastline is anchored by hidden coves, secret caves, and beaches framed not by packed lidos, but by the aromatic maquis shrubland and ancient pines. In fact, the beaches of Baia Delle Zagare and Vignanotica on the Gargano were the basis for the Island of Themyscira in Wonder Woman.
To the nature and silent coastal forests of the Gargano, its lesser-known status is a matter of indifference; its beauty is a reward unto itself. And in the ancient white-washed fishing town of Vieste, perched on the very edge of this paradise, is a penthouse that feels like its beautiful, deliberate secret:V Penthouse.
Upon arriving the delightful paradox is palpable. The lift opens not into a typical Mediterranean apartment, but into a pristinely serene, fifth-floor hallway that feels unmistakably like a luxury London residence. This is no accident. The owners, Laurent and Simona Foglia, long-time Londoners, commissioned Irene Gunter of the acclaimed firm Gunter & Co Interiors, known for her work on ultra-prime London properties like One Hyde Park, to realize their vision.
As the Foglias explain, “Our aim was to bring a luxury London penthouse to Vieste. It was not always straightforward to translate our vision into reality notwithstanding some able local suppliers and professionals assisting our London design team.” The result is a stunning architectural sleight of hand: a vertical oasis suspended above the Adriatic.
The 140-square-meter interior is tailored in elegance. Gunter’s design, featuring sumptuous pieces from Poltrona Frau, Giorgetti, Poliform, Roche Bobois, and artful carpets from CC Tapis, is a study in texture and calm sophistication. Yet the architectural pezzo forte lies in its profound deference to the view.
Vast floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room frame a panoramic spectacle of sea and sky, its focal point forever Vieste’s legendary Pizzomunno monolith, a towering limestone stack steeped in local myth and immortalized in the song “La Favola Di Pizzomunno” (“The Fable of Pizzomunno”) by Max Gazzè.
The connection to the outdoors is seamless. Beyond the glass, 350 square meters of terrace unfold, equipped with deep, comfortable Indian Ocean sofas and a bubbling Jacuzzi, all but overlooking the beach. The sound is the constant, gentle shush of waves. But the true magic awaits a final ascent up a private staircase to the superattico—the solarium crowning the building.
This is where the penthouse regales you with its most intimate emotions. By day, it’s a sun-drenched platform overlooking Vieste, a place to watch fishing boats bob on the horizon. As night falls, it becomes a private observatory. And as darkness envelops the Gargano, a profound transformation overtakes the vista. The world disappears into a palette of velvety indigo and silver.
The Pizzomunno monoliths dramatically illuminated by strategic spotlights from the shore. Their ancient limestone forms are rendered as smooth, ethereal sculptures against the dark sea, standing as silent, majestic sentinels. This visual poetry is underscored by a constant, soothing soundtrack: the rhythmic cadence of the waves forming a deep, gentle exhale as the water washes over the golden sand. To stargaze from here in this profound quiet, in nature’s embrace, is to feel, for a moment, that you are touching heaven.
The name V Penthouse is a layered tribute. It denotes Vieste, the fifth floor, but its true meaning is Vittoria Pernice, Simona’s grandmother. In the 1920s, a distant uncle was so enchanted by the little girl that he bequeathed her this precious land overlooking the sea, bypassing closer relatives. Vittoria, who passed away in 2011, is honoured throughout the apartment with period-inspired photographs and portraits that evoke a timeless, elegant seaside life.
For Simona, this project was deeply personal. She reflects, “This was above all a labour of love for the flat whose promise was obvious to us and therefore nothing deterred us.” The owners also see “VP” as standing for VIP, a designation they bestow upon every guest, extending the same care and affection they have for the home itself.
Simona and Laurent personally alternate hosting duties, ensuring visitors are met with individual care and a curated list of recommendations. Since opening in 2024, V Penthouse has developed a loyal following, particularly among Italian-Americans seeking a connection to a less-trodden Italy. The atmosphere is deliberately a “home from home;” some guests even leave personal items, like a favorite bottle of wine, for their return the following year. The experience is complemented by the option of in-home catering from “Ristorante Il Capriccio” (outside peak August weeks).
Naturally, V Penthouse is also the perfect base to explore the Gargano’s raw beauty. A short ferry ride away lie the Tremiti Islands, where the sea transforms into a tropical, deep blue purity. The islands are home to the Diomedee birds, whose nocturnal cries, echoing the lament of the Greek hero Diomedes said to have died there, are a sound unlike any other. Closer by, the cliffs of Pulsano hide breathtaking hermit caves, accessible by foot for the adventurous.
A dazzling duality of place: the cosmopolitan cool of London meeting the wild soul of the Adriatic. V Penthouse is not just a place to stay, but a vantage point—a privileged perch from which to quietly observe the sublime beauty of a coast that, still today, remains one of Italy’s most gracious and best-kept secrets.
