The real history of the emerald coast instead holds a secret unknown to many. An area of the eastern part of northern Sardinia contains a paradise on earth now famous throughout the world for more than half a century.
the name emerald derives from Esmeralda, daughter of Giuseppe Mentasti, industrialist and discoverer of Monti di Mola (Abbiadori town), who bought the island of Mortorio for “only” 3 million lire from Luigino Demuro, tobacconist of Arzachena.
But the name of his daughter Esmeralda appeared too Spanish. So I think I removed the “and.”
And here was born the emerald coast.
A curiosity of the name that routs from over fifty years of legends and tales.
Like that of Prince Karim Aga Khan, who, on board his yacht, fell in love at first sight with the crystal clear sea of Monti di Mola.
Fairy tales, but not true.
The story of the legend is made of people, wealthy industrialists, and native inhabitants torn by the end of World War II and the malaria outbreak of 1946.
Mythology has it that the destinies of the Costa Smeralda began to change during a business lunch in London back in 1958. A banker who had just been to Sardinia was looking for partners to buy a particular piece of coastline that he had found semi-wild, mountainous, and bathed by a crystal clear sea. In this wonderland, just an hour’s flight from Italy and France, a small vacation retreat for private use could have been created for a “small” sum ($25,000). Thus was born a small group of investors composed of the Prince of the Ishmailiti community His Highness Aga Khan, Giuseppe Mentasti, Patrick Guinness, Renè Podbielski, and others. He signed, on September 29, 1961, a declaration of intent that would lead to the constitution, on March 14, 1962, of the Costa Smeralda Consortium.
The Consortium was born with the intent to exercise architectural control over the development of the 12,000 hectares of coastline affected by the investment. All projects, from the large hotel to the private home, had to be submitted to the approval of the architecture committee, which controlled the development of a pre-established style and the lowest possible environmental impact.
The famous architects Vietti, Busiri Vici, Couëlle, Simon, and Mossa, who designed the first settlements, were in charge. The driving force behind the development was the enthusiasm of Aga Khan, who personally controlled all the work. He also unleashed a handful of photographers for Sardinia, documenting the traditional styles, shapes, and colours of the houses, to be used in the new settlements. All of this represented a national novelty in Italy where the town plans did not yet exist.
The Costa Smeralda soon became one of the most famous and exclusive tourist resorts in the world, with the improvement of the connections with Olbia and the expansion of the Venafiorita airport. At the end of the sixties, the Costa Smeralda already consisted of the village of Porto Cervo, the five hotels (including the Luci Di La Muntagna) in perfect efficiency, the church Stella Maris, a massive golf course under construction, and the first villas, built near the most beautiful beaches, in places with great names such as Liscia di Vacca, Capriccioli, Grande Pevero, Pantogia.
One of the most successful intuitions expressed by the Costa Smeralda from the beginning was the inclusion of local styles, starting with the names of the places. Even the design of local handicrafts, a rarity for its preservation over the centuries, was made its own, with mutual benefits. The rooms and halls of the hotels Cervo, Romazzino, Pitrizza, and Cala di Volpe are still almost entirely furnished with the materials and design of traditional Sardinian craftsmanship.
The architecture best expressed the desire to integrate into the environment. A model was taken as an example and studied all over the world. The famous Cala Di Volpe represents an unsurpassed example of this art.
The notoriety of the Coast was continually growing, also because the press, especially the pink one of gossip, was more and more interested in the world of vacations and the people who frequented it. We must remember that the VIPs of that time were less than today and better identifiable.
The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, established in 1967, grew in just a few years to become one of the most renowned nautical clubs in the world, and in 1983 it hosted Azzurra’s challenge to
the America’s Cup, hosting a long series of important international regattas.
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