In Dialog With Steven Riseley, Proprietor of Fort Elvira

Fort Elvira laid deserted for multiple hundred years till it underwent a spectacular 4-year restoration, with emphasis on distinctive eclectic design, artwork collaborations, and the very best ranges of service.

Entrepreneur couple Steven Riseley and artist, movie director, and husband Harvey B-Brown have poured their hearts and souls into each inch of this historic monument, and the outcomes scream on your consideration.

In lower than one 12 months, Fort Elvira has been hailed by ‘Tatler journey’ as one of many ‘high 101 resorts on this planet’ and proclaimed as one in every of ‘Vogue’s’ ‘high 5 resorts in Puglia’, Fort Elvira has surprised a global viewers, and the accolades proceed to stream. Welcome to Fort Elvira, the place there aren’t any boundaries and no limits. Learn on to find extra.

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You’ve got a robust background within the hospitality trade, how does Fort Elvira examine to your previous experiences?

Fort Elvira is extremely distinctive, and the target was to suit actually into the boutique resort market, I imagine that we now have achieved that each aesthetically and operationally. Fort Elvira is a dramatic transfer away from my earlier expertise, which was primarily in company enterprises.

What was the important thing attraction that drove you to tackle such an immense undertaking?

The second I set eyes on the citadel, it merely took my breath away, it appeared to talk to me, and I knew that it was a undertaking I couldn’t stroll away from. I additionally had, for a while, yearned to place my complete being into one closing undertaking, a undertaking that may problem me greater than ever earlier than. Fort Elvira was destined to be and is my legacy.

The citadel has a fascinating fairy-tale backstory – please inform us extra and if / how this has been integrated into refurbishment undertaking.

Fort Elvira is an actual copy of Fort Scarpetta in Naples, constructed and owned by a well-known Italian actor, Eduardo Scarpetta. Fort Elvira was constructed by a rich entrepreneur, additionally from Naples; it was to be his household’s summer time house. The legend is that when Fort Elvira was accomplished, the proprietor got here to remain that first summer time along with his spouse and his greatest love, his 15-year-old daughter Elvira, she was his princess, it’s mentioned that he constructed the citadel for Elvira, therefore the identify Fort Elvira. Elvira tragically died within the citadel that summer time, and her father and mom left the citadel totally furnished, locked the doorways, and by no means returned. Though it’s a tragic story, Elvira can be delighted to see the optimistic vitality and keenness poured into her citadel and see it so lovingly restored to its authentic magnificence. After all, we stored the identify Fort Elvira; by some means, it’s pretty to suppose it’s nonetheless hers.

You and your workforce have been working with grasp artisans (since 2018!!) to lovingly restore the citadel and its authentic options. Please inform us extra in regards to the artisans you might be working with and the journey to completion.

Puglia is a extra conventional and unspoiled area that has a singular historical past. There’s a wealth of traditionally important buildings and monuments right here, they exhibit many historical architectural kinds, and lots of stay unrestored. Many artisan trades nonetheless thrive right here due to that, and I imagine their work is unparalleled in comparison with most different areas. From stone masonry handy cast iron works, it’s nonetheless attainable to realize high quality genuine restorations right here in Puglia. We have been fortunate to work with a few of Puglia’s finest restoration groups, and the outcomes of their work communicate volumes.

Artwork and design are key options at Fort Elvira, please inform us why that is so essential and the way it’s showcased all through the property and chateau.

My husband, Harvey B-Brown, is an artist and an award-winning filmmaker. Harvey collaborates along with his London-based artist accomplice, David Scheinmann. Their present artwork undertaking, ‘Adored and Adorned,’ is principally blended media portraiture. They’ve been commissioned by many high-profile celebrities, together with Cher, Kate Beckinsale, Bryan Ferry, Graham Norton, Dame Darcey Bussell, Helen McCrory, Philip Treacy, and lots of extra. Lots of Harvey’s and David’s works, in addition to many different worldwide artists’ works, are hung within the suites and salon’s and all artwork will be bought. We’re very targeted on the artwork idea, and one in every of our in-house visitor experiences is a life drawing class hosted by Harvey. This has confirmed to be our hottest and profitable expertise. Company taking part in these lessons have been profoundly moved; many have advised us it was an emotionally stimulating expertise.

Fort Elvira will open its doorways to welcome friends as soon as extra in April – do you’ve got any thrilling plans for the reopening?

Fort Elvira will open its coronary heart and doorways once more in April, and we’re very excited to welcome our outdated and new friends for our second summer time season. Even within the wintertime, work all the time continues at Fort Elvira. We now have been busy this winter making many enhancements to make our friends keep extra luxurious and comfy. Our in-house artwork boutique will incorporate many new artists’ items this 12 months, together with handmade jewelry, ceramics, restricted version prints, authentic artwork items, and classic glassware. We made contact with many different artists throughout the winter, each native and worldwide, and we might be exhibiting and promoting their work this 12 months.

What can friends count on from their expertise at Fort Elvira?

Fort Elvira is a luxurious expertise, our friends can count on the very best requirements of service and care, however our coverage is to not make our friends really feel harassed; our workforce is environment friendly with out being overbearing. We use a what’s app system, and friends can merely message from wherever on the property and request something they want, which might be delivered to them instantly. Our in-house restaurant is open every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We serve genuine ‘Cucina Salentina’ Italian delicacies utilizing all contemporary and domestically sourced seasonal produce, all dishes are hand-made by our two cooks, and each week we mild the standard olive wooden burning pizza oven and host a particular pizza night with stay conventional Italian music. The citadel rooftop cocktail bar is open every day for sundown drinks; our mixologists make all cocktails or mocktails to order. Our friends solely should calm down, hearken to the specifically blended ambient music, and watch the incredible Salento sunsets. With our diverse listing of in-house and exterior experiences, which our concierge will organize for the friends, it’s unimaginable to really feel bored.

And any high suggestions for friends to realize probably the most from their keep?

If I had any recommendation to offer our future friends, it will be to come back right here with an open thoughts and attempt to neglect your previous resort experiences. Fort Elvira just isn’t like some other resort. You possibly can, in fact, count on the excessive requirements of service that the majority 5-star resorts supply. You’ll really feel and style and perceive the top quality in every part we do and produce right here, however don’t be shocked whenever you stumble upon the homeowners and so they invite you for a sundown drink or one of many workers decides to ship a shock glass of prosecco to you on the pool. We are going to supply every part you will discover at one other luxurious resort, however we offer it with much less formality. At Fort Elvira, we don’t make use of robots; everyone right here is natural with an enormous beating coronary heart.

Luxurious is very subjective – what does it imply to you?

Luxurious will be outlined in some ways by completely different individuals. Our intention at Fort Elvira is to encourage friends to do what they need and once they wish to do it, we are going to facilitate every part and something they want, seaside sunbeds at lovely seashores, making restaurant reservations, reserving yacht charters, arranging non-public jet journey, reserving native excursions or wine excursions; the listing is infinite. Or just to take one of the best care of them when they’re on the property, all the time with a excessive normal of service and care.

What’s your life motto (in case you have one?)

The shock of the covid pandemic and the extreme restrictions it imposed on the world made us realise that we take an excessive amount of without any consideration, the issues we loved doing have been out of the blue taken away, and it was very robust on us all. My life motto must be: “Life just isn’t a rehearsal; the time to behave is now.”