Dreaming of Lido

The story of a place is told through the people who inhabited it—those who sparked curiosity, beauty, and cultural energy long before any celebration of space alone.

To speak of the Lido of Venice is, first and foremost, to speak of those who passed through it. The recent announcement of the extensive restoration of the Grand Hôtel des Bains—a magnificent example of Art Nouveau architecture— invites us to reflect on the Lido’s role in the world.

Especially now, on the eve of the Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica, as the island once again becomes a stage, we consider what the Lido still represents: a suspended place, somewhere between memory and projection.

The woman pictured at the top of this piece is Lady Ottoline Morrell, photographed at the Lido of Venice. She captures everything the Lido was, in the early 20th century—and what it continued to be for decades.

A patron of the Bloomsbury Group and an early pacifist, Lady Ottoline embodied a kind of urgent freedom that belonged precisely to the Des Bains and its beach. In this image, she escapes her hotel room nude, wrapping herself only in a curtain to be photographed like a star.

The Lido welcomed everyone. The Des Bains was the perfect backdrop for legendary gatherings—from Dalí to Sofia Loren, from Duchamp to Thomas Mann, who made it eternal with Death in Venice.

We celebrate this legacy with a selection of timeless objects: from our signature Montecatini Rigato towels in Acquamarina , ideal for wrapping yourself in summer rituals, to the Lido placemat , which evokes the crisp lines and palette of historic seaside resorts.