- / Impegno civile
Tra neuroplasticità, memoria ed emozione, l’intelligenza umana resta un territorio non replicabile: così il cervello diventa l’ultimo archivio vivente e creativo
ISSUE NO. 31
The first to succumb to the allure of this spot, nestled in a subtropical park of 40,000 square meters and a forest of more than 200,000 sqm, were the Lepontieri Celts who settled in the Menaggio Valley, established a deep connection with nature. Specifically as a symbol of this connection, the divine force that permeates the surrounding nature, Aria Retreat’s spa was named CEò, after the Celtic name for the fog that, according to the ancient people, has the magical power to envelop everything like a veil and make it invisible.
Opened in spring 2022, ARIA Retreat & SPA is a member of The Leading Hotels Of The World, designed by Milan-based architecture firm R4M Engineering. Overlooking the waters of Lake Lugano, in Cima di Porlezza, Como, on the southern slope of Mount Bronzone, ARIA Retreat & SPA is set in the beauty of the local nature. An architectural project with low environmental impact that integrates well with the area in embrace with the lake. Indeed, the structure has been built in energy class A thanks to the application of the best materials and plant engineering technological solutions.
The resort has fifteen suites, the fine dining restaurant La Musa Restaurant & Rooftop Terrace, and the lounge bar Dolce Vita Lounge & Terrace – an adults-only spa spread over three floors inspired by the area’s typical ancient terraces.
Like a wedding cake, the hotel has three layers. The first terrace houses the 130 sqm heated indoor pool with a relaxation area with large windows and the outdoor infinity pool with saline water, which is also heated. Then, the middle level houses the panoramic, Finnish, and hay saunas, the Turkish bath, the private SPA with outdoor saltwater whirlpool and the ‘snowflak’ cold cabin with real snow inside. In contrast, the third level houses suites, including the Garden Suite with a garden for exclusive use. On every level, panoramic views of Lake Lugano can be enjoyed from each room, both from the relaxation areas and saunas, as well as from Dolce Vita Lounge & Terrace bar.
At Dolce Vita Lounge & Terrace, one can relax with a club sandwich of lake fish and a drink after a day at the SPA, perhaps sipping a cocktail designed by sommelier and bar manager Fabrizio Pavlic, created from house-made infusions and gins such as Premium Aria Pink Gin, infused with rose water, and Ariaologist, a gin made with alpine herbs and flowers.
The resort is located within the Parco San Marco Hotels & Beach Resort, where La Musa Restaurant & Rooftop Terrace, the fine dining restaurant, is also located. Access to the resort is via a scenic underground passageway inside the fifty-meter-long mountain lit with RGB white light controlled by a DMX system that creates dynamic lighting scenarios.
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Besides a 40,000 sqm equipped park in which five restaurants and as many swimming pools are organized, tennis courts, a fitness center, a private beach, and a 1,500 sq. m. wellness center, the resort offers a permanent collection consisting of works of art located in all areas, exterior and interior. In particular, one example is the sculpture by Anacleto Spazzapan, which recently joined the collection.
Moreover, the structure, in addition to Dolce Vita Lounge & Terrace, hides a restaurant that welcomes the discerning tastebuds. La Musa Restaurant is affiliated with Les Collectionneurs, a collection founded by the French chef Alain Ducasse, with the title Bonne Table – Table Remarquable, and is featured in the Michelin Italy 2023 guide.
La Musa Restaurant & Rooftop Terrace chef Michele Pili, a native Sardinian, leads guests on a sensory journey between the traditions of Sardinia and the excellence of Italy, contaminating flavors and products of excellence with balance.
«My cooking philosophy is simple, as simple as my idea of gastronomy. I bring together in each dish Sardinia, my homeland, with raw materials from the Lepontine Alps and the experience of my travels. Few ingredients, but decisive and strong like my land, made of granite».
The cuisine focuses in particular on the harmony of textures and the natural flavors of selected ingredients – a gastronomic proposal that respects the seasons and the plant element. Accompanying the menu is an extensive wine list curated by maître and sommelier Matteo Zecchini, with a selection of Maisons and wines from small winemakers who work the land respectfully.
ARIA’s range of offerings hides attention to detail in its folds, even those unseen. The facility is in fact designed to limit environmental impact and achieve green certifications using top-notch technologies, systems, and materials.
Solar panels, next-generation heating systems, home automation solutions to control consumption, and, in the interior spaces, warm wood surfaces are complemented by a high-performance ventilated envelope that was made using large-format, 12-mm-thick slabs of Lapitec – a material resulting from a mixture of 100 percent natural minerals, free of any chemical additives, inks or other petroleum derivatives, and resistant to external agents.
That same fertility blossoms on the branches of the forests, clinging to the surrounding mountains and echoing amid the sounds of animals in love that can be heard in the distance. Amidst the play of light of a dazzling spring, the traveler here cannot but stop and be lulled by the emerald green of the lake that enters from the terraces of ARIA.
All-suite hotel in the Parco San Marco Hotels & Beach Resort on the sunny hillside of Mount Bronzone overlooking Lake Lugano. Views of the lake and the Lepontine Alps can be seen from all the suites, the private beach, and the lush 25-hectare subtropical park. The CEò SPA, reserved for adults, offers a combination of wellness and tranquility, while families with children can enjoy the resort’s facilities, which include three children’s clubs.
ISSUE NO. 31
Lampoon is a cultural magazine.
Culture today means sustainability – in its honest meaning.
Culture has always been about human respect, tolerance. It’s not only about accepting human diversity but it’s about searching for the beauty of every human peculiarity.
Inclusion is the first value that defines art. Culture today means one thing only: to be part of a community, to think as a community.
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