December 31, 2023

December 31, 2023

Torino, Italia

An entire night and nearly an entire day, simply gone. The day was spend attempting to recover from whatever hit the day before. Hydrate, urinate, hydrate, flush the body, repeat, twelve half liter bottles of what later, reasonable success. Midmorning arrived with the fever broken. Midafternoon arrived with a calm stomach and a greatly reduced headache.

Missing the New Year’s Eve bash at Villa Sassi, not a possibility.

Villa Sassi was built in the 17th century and over then centuries it became a point of reference in Piemonte and Italia. It has been frequented by princes, dukes, president, royal families and artists for the last four hundred years.

During the risorgimento, the establishing of Italy, in 1860 you would have found Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, strolling through the villa and walking through the grounds deep in through about the future of the House of Savoy and more importantly the new county of Italy. Shortly thereafter, he would become the first President of the Council of Ministers.

Skip forward nearly one hundred years to 1952. The Villa, now owned by the Turati family (owners of the Capano brand), becomes the hotbed for the bourgeois of Torino. Visited and loved any politicians, intellectuals and prominent Italians like Maria Callas, Helmut Newton and a young lawyer named Agnelli.

Moving more slowly forward to 1966 there is a restaurant named Aime, located inside the Villa. In 1966 the restaurant earns it's the first Michelin Star. In 1969, just three years later, Aime becomes the first 2 Michelin Star restaurant in Piedmont and is among the top ten restaurants in all of Italy. Among the many clients during this period were Presidents of the Republic, the Dukes of Kent and many prominent Italian politicians.

In the 1980s Villa Sassi becomes the first and only Relais & Châteaux associated property in Piedmonte. Relais & Châteaux is an association of hotels and properties which must meet the highest set of standards and it is considered quite an achievement in the hospitality industry to be allowed to become a member. It is above most of our pay grades to even know about. Relais & Châteaux was established in 1954 and even today is an association of only 580 unique hotels and restaurants around the world. in Piedmont. During this period the Villa Sassi welcomed some of the big, and undisclosed, names in sport and internationally renowned artists.

Today, after having undergone a careful and meticulous conservative restoration, in which the architectural and structural history has been preserved by the current owner, has returned the Villa Sassi to the highest ideals of service and hospitality. Today the Villa serves as an ideal location for exclusive public and private events.

This New Year’s Eve is however all about George. The theme color is red and race cars. The Villa is bathed in red lights, there is an ice sculpture of a formula 1 race car, there are two electronic race car games where you can take your turn driving a formula 1 car, and there is a rather large slot car track with four positions. There was a band, although not too much dancing, at least not prior to dinner.

There were several stations for hors d’oeuvres. Chinese, Indian, mounds of cheese, enough it could have been dinner. There were soft drinks and wine. There was an entertainer for the younger children.

Then there was dinner. In Italian tradition fish is served on New Year’s Even. Everyone said it was quite delightful. For those not participating in fish there was risotto without fish, and a baked root vegetable for the main course. After dinner there was a chocolate fountain with a large spread of things to dip into the fountain and things that didn’t need to be dipped.

Mary and I left just about 11:30. Serra had been kind enough to arrange transportation back to the city for those leaving early. Apparently the evening turned into morning before the party broke up sometime around 1:30.

Thank George, Serra, Pietro and Luisa for a wonderful holiday. Nonno