This Gorgeous Island Off the Amalfi Coast Looks Like a Dolphin
Mother nature always does the best work, with landscapes that captivate the human gaze. For example, did you know that on Italy's Amalfi Coast there is a beautiful island that has the shape of a dolphin?
This is Il Gallo Lungo an island located between Capri and Positano, part of a complex known as Sirenusas or Gallos. As for the name of the island complex, the name Sirenusas comes from the Italian word sirene, meaning sirens, and according to a legend, mythological sirens used these islands as their home. The ancient Greeks claimed that these creatures had the heads of a man and the body of a bird, hence the second name of the islands, Gallos, derived from the Italian word galli (roosters).
Il Gallo Lungo is the largest of the three islands in the group, shaped like a dolphin! And no, it's not photoshop. But apart from its unusual shape that refers to this marine mammal, this island also has a special history.
Initially Gallo Lungo housed a monastery and then a prison. But in the 19th century, the town of Positano sold the island, ultimately ending up in the ownership of the Russian choreographer Leonide Massine in 1919. He decided to turn it into a private residence, with a dance studio and outdoor theater, taking design advice from his friend and famous architect Le Corbusier, who built a villa with bedrooms overlooking Positano and a large garden with a terrace on the first floor overlooking Cape Licosa and Capri. Once Massine died, the island was bought by another Russian dancer, the acclaimed ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev. From 1988 until his death in 1993, Nureyev lived on the island. After Nureyev's death the islands were purchased from his foundation in 1996 by Giovanni Russo, a Sorrento hotelier who besides using them as a private residence also makes them available for private rental.
Nowadays, the island functions mainly as a luxury and private rental property for the ultra-rich people. It features Nureyev's three-bedroom mansion, a villa-turned-ballroom, a chapel, a saltwater infinity pool and many other amenities, including a private helicopter available for use, a motorboat, a yacht and a staff of a few to serve your every need. But to be able to rent the place will cost you an outrageous amount up to $160,000 per week. But don't despair! Us normal people can enjoy the beauty of the island from its fancy restaurant and bar which are open to the public.
