Elisa Del Prete | Napoli – Majorca

From: I was born in Frattamaggiore, close to Naples, a city I love with all my heart. I left it because my passion for travelling and exploring the world  is stronger. Napoli shaped me as a person, the energy of the city keeps my memories alive, it’s the lifeblood that made me who I am today, a costant sound feeding my imagination, especially at night when I rest my head on the pillow.

Located: I live in Majorca, Spain. Moved here 5 years ago. The first time I came, 20 years ago on vacation, I felt free. Majorca is a melting pot of races and cultures. Here, I can fill the silence and the open spaces with my creativity. Just the light itself can make my thoughts more real, cherish my need for the true quietness. I love this place, the smells, the colors, the view of the sea, the people, my friends and our vegetable garden filled with tomatoes, fruits and lemons which I use to make my famous Limoncello.

Traveler Life: I love the island life. Soon after I married my husband Francesco, we moved to La Maddalena in Sardegna. At that time, during the seventies, Sardinia was THE place where you could meet the biggest celebrities. One of them was Gian Maria Volontè docking his boat in the beautiful Cala Gavetta with his friends, Marco Ferreri, the director, and screenwriter Franco Solinas. You could see his red sails from miles away.

I was: A fashion designer for 30 years, I owned and created my clothing line. I was born with a big appetite for creativity, only to discover that this kind of beauty in my country was often abused and humiliated. That’s why I decided to quit.

Food: I love to cook, I love to express myself in the kitchen, I was born with it, come on… I’m from Naples! Here I have so many friends, who love me as a woman, but also for the way I cook! I grow my own ingredients, pomodorini del vesuvio for the spaghetti alle vongole – Piennolo Vine Tomatoes from Mount Vesuvius – parmigiana di melanzane – Eggplant Parmesan – (sorry Mario Batali, mine is better), fiori di zucca ripieni – stuffed squash blossoms – all delicious, you should try it.

Philosophy: It is very simple: life is a gift, it shouldn’t be waisted. It’s a show that you are lucky to enjoy and sometimes participate in, an amazing experience that makes you stronger and better every day. I’m a positve person, generous and I love my life, even when I fail. I’m always the one who believes in the half glass full, never empty.

I read… For the third time, I’m reading Tiziano Terzani’s LA FINE E’ IL MIO INIZIO – The End Is My Beginning – a wonderful journey, dating back to the beginning of life in search of the truth.

What I like to do: I like to travel, because I learn about new cultures, how people grow and harvest food in a different way. In Africa I discovered new spices, a new way to make bread, olive oil, and organic seeds to plant in my garden… I appreciate the craftsmanship of our journey as humans.

Things I’m doing: I’m writing a book which I hope to finish before the end of the next year! I own a great patent which is going to work! (Keep your finger crossed). I want to publish a book of my special recipes and to keep networking with people interested in developing an Italian Lifestyle around the world, triyng to put my fashion experience at use. That’s why, I love Ganzo!

Harvesting lavender

In my atelier in Paris, with my actor son Nino

With my husband Francesco and the greatest italian singer and actress Rita Pavone

My tomatoes...

... and my famous PENNE ALL'ARRABBIATA

In my vegetable garden

Limoncello!!!!!!!!!!!

Ciao!