Once upon a time there was a king…

November 24, 2017

Palazzo Murat really is a hotel out of the ordinary, because it was the private residence of Gioacchino Murat, king of Naples and husband of Caterina Bonaparte, Napoleon’s sister

. Our family shares in common with Gioacchino Murat a love for this prestigious building we have restored. But also something else: Gioacchino actually belonged to a family of hoteliers. His father, Pierre Murat Jordy, and mother, Jeanne Loubières, managed establishments in La Bastide-Fortunière and Angliars at the end of the eighteenth century.

When he became king of Naples in 1808, Gioacchino was received well by the local people. He was said to be handsome, with a strong and passionate character, courageous and with rich tastes. Perhaps that’s why, when he came to Positano, he was so impressed that he decided to make it his summer retreat.
Off all the palazzi in the city, he fell in love with what is now Palazzo Murat and made it into his private residence for when he came to Positano, often in the company of his lovers.

The garden where you can walk freely today, the rooms where you rest at the end of a day at the beach, are the same spaces where Gioacchino Murat loved walking and resting in the 19th century. Since then, many things have changed, except for the intriguing charm that Palazzo Murat possesses. The same, unmistakable charm that bewitched the king of Naples.