If there’s one person who has proved that style and sustainability can speak the same language, it’s Eva Geraldine Fontanelli. She began her career as a fashion editor in New York before returning to Italy as editor-at-large at Vanity Fair. Those two formative experiences led her to champion the value of independent brands and traditional craftsmanship. In 2018, she became an advisor to the United Nations, supporting development projects and speaking at the UN Climate Conference in Nairobi about fashion’s role in tackling climate change. She later founded Goooders, a platform that brings together a marketplace, brand consultancy and retail spaces in luxury hotels, driven by a simple yet ambitious idea: that living more responsibly doesn’t mean compromising on beauty, but choosing products, experiences and brands that leave a positive impact. We asked Eva to take us to one of her favourite places in Italy. She chose Capalbio, a seaside town with a long history in the Maremma, and one of the most authentic corners of Tuscany.
Why do you love Capalbio?
Because it never tried to be fashionable — and perhaps that’s exactly why it became so. Butteri, artists, surfers, farmers and families who have been coming back every summer for generations all coexist here. More than a destination, it’s a small human ecosystem.
A place you absolutely must visit?
Il Giardino dei Tarocchi, a Tarot Garden. You don’t need to believe in tarot to be won over. Niki de Saint Phalle’s monumental sculptures bring to life a visionary place where art, symbolism and nature meet in a magical atmosphere.
A secret to share?
The WWF Oasis at Lake Burano. Everyone comes for the sea, but few know that Italy’s very first WWF nature reserve was born right here. Among flamingos, dunes and paths suspended between lagoon and Mediterranean, you begin to understand that Capalbio’s true wealth is not what has been built, but what it has chosen to protect.
A tour to do?
Follow the works of Hypermaremma, the contemporary art project that every summer invites international artists to engage with the Maremma landscape. Installations, sculptures and site-specific interventions appear among beaches, countryside and villages — tracking them down is a genuine treasure hunt.
The best moment of the day for a cappuccino?
Eight in the morning at Bar La Mandria. More than a bar, it’s a privileged observatory on Maremma life. Over a cappuccino and a cornetto, people talk about horses, harvests and the weather. Five minutes is all it takes to feel like a local.
A moment of relaxation?
The spa at Locanda Rossa, booking the helichrysum oil ritual. One of the signature plants of the Mediterranean scrubland, with a scent that smells of sun, wind and sea salt. More than a treatment — an immersion in the landscape.
A special experience?
A horse ride on the beach with Circolo Ippico La Flamenca. The Maremma was buttero country long before it was beach club country. Crossing the pine forest and arriving at the sea on horseback is probably the most authentic way to experience it.
The essence of the place?
Capalbio is often described as the ultimate radical chic destination and temple of the friulana sandal. I think that’s a lazy definition. Its true elegance is freedom: you can spend the day barefoot on the beach, get your hands dirty in the countryside and show up to dinner in a sarong. Nobody here seems to be trying to impress anyone.
A fun evening?
La Polverosa. Born as an agriturismo and now one of the iconic addresses of Capalbio summers, it’s the place where you eat, drink, dance and always end up running into someone you haven’t seen in years. More Maremma than mondanity.
An unforgettable dish?
The acquacotta maremmana at Il Tortello. A dish born from the cucina povera of the butteri that, even today, tells the whole story of the Maremma with just a handful of ingredients: seasonal vegetables, stale bread, egg, pecorino and a good extra virgin olive oil. At Il Tortello they prepare it in full respect of tradition, reminding us that simplicity is often the highest form of cooking.
The most beautiful view?
The terrace at La Porta at sunset. The eye travels across the countryside all the way to Monte Argentario and, for a few minutes, even the noisiest tables stop to watch the sun go down over the Maremma.
A memory to pack?
The buffalo mozzarella from La Maremmana di Grosseto. It comes from the milk of Maremma buffalo raised on the lands of Diaccialone, behind Capalbio, where the landscape still preserves the most authentic soul of the Maremma. You’ll find it at their shop in Grosseto and in some delis in Capalbio. My advice? Buy two: one to eat immediately, and one that, in all likelihood, will never make it home.
The beach?
Ultima Spiaggia. One of the last beach clubs that still holds onto the soul of the Maremma seaside: wooden cabins, dunes, no frills and that slightly retro feeling that has become a luxury in itself.
The favourite hotel?
Terre di Sacra Glamping. It reminds me of certain African safari lodges: tents immersed in nature, silence, a starry sky and the feeling that true luxury is having the time to listen to what’s happening around you.
How to feel like a local in Capalbio?
Forget Google Maps. Have breakfast at La Mandria, follow a brown sign without knowing where it leads, stop to buy vegetables from a local farmer, get lost among the works of Hypermaremma and end the day in front of a sunset.
What’s the best time to visit Capalbio?
September. The sea is still magnificent, the light is softer and the place rediscovers its natural rhythm.
Looking for more inspiration on the area? discover Terre di Sacra or read our pocket guide to the area.