February 5, 2025 • 25 mins
The Grande Real Villa Italia Hotel and Spa in Cascais, Portugal, has been named Europe's most romantic destination of 2025. Sweeping seaside views, a Roman bath-inspired spa, and serene ocean- or garden-side suites will provide the romantic getaway you've been searching for. But behind all the amore is the story of the May King, the rise and fall of fascism, and the end of the Italian monarchy.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hotel history is created for adult audiences.
(00:03):
Content may not be suitable for all listeners.
Discretion is advised.
You're listening to Hotel History.
We take you with us through the sordid history and scandals
of some of the world's most famous and infamous hotels.
I'm D'Etta.
And I'm Yael.
(00:24):
Let's get started.
We're doing a special Valentine's episode.
It's going to be about the Hotel Villa Italia.
You sounded a little Midwestern when you were like episode.
Episode?
I feel like my accent is everywhere.
(00:47):
Yes, we are doing the Grande Real Villa Italia,
which has actually been named Europe's most romantic hotel
at the 2025 Conde Nast Johansson Awards.
It won the best for romance category.
(01:09):
The Villa Italia is located in Cascais, Portugal,
on the Atlantic coast.
So an Italian villa in Portugal.
Why, you may ask.
It has to do with European history.
So Cascais was once a small fishing village
and is known for its beaches, historic architecture,
(01:32):
and natural landscape.
The town is very picturesque with stone houses,
red tile roofs, and narrow cobblestone streets.
So you're beautiful.
When you imagine Europe, imagine this place.
That sounds perfect.
It was a popular destination for aristocrats
(01:52):
in the late 1800s.
Isn't everything?
Yeah, it seems like any place on the beach
or in the mountains called to the aristocrats.
I want to be an aristocrat.
I want to be an aristoCAT.
Everybody wants to be a cat.
(02:17):
Villa Italia has 124 rooms, suites and penthouses,
many with terraces and beautiful ocean or garden views.
And it's positioned perfectly near the beach
so that you have all those beautiful views.
It faces a lighthouse.
It faces the, it's across from the Boca de Inferno,
(02:38):
which is this natural hole in the cliffs
that's called the mouth of hell, basically.
It sounds so beautiful.
I know.
Hell's mouth.
Great band name.
It is.
Oh, it is.
(03:00):
It's this beautiful area.
And then it's also only 20 minutes away from Lisbon.
So if you're wanting to do nightlife,
a little bit of the city, it's like perfectly positioned.
Yeah.
Isn't Portugal kind of small?
Everything's close by.
Yeah, that's true.
Yeah.
By American standards, yes, Portugal is really small.
(03:23):
Of course, it has a spa, which is inspired by Roman bath houses.
And they have the lasso therapy there,
which is basically different treatments involving seawater,
like different seawater tubs at different temperatures
and like seaweed wraps and things like that.
(03:43):
The staff there says that they strive to make guests feel like royalty
because Via Italia was originally built as the home in exile
of the last Italian king, Umberto II.
So this is basically the history of the fall of the Italian monarchy.
Yeah.
(04:03):
It's never just a hotel.
It's like...
Never.
But how...
I have a question.
Is there...
Are we going to learn anything romantic about the history
or it's just a romantic hotel?
I think just based on its location and how gorgeous it is,
I think that's what makes it so romantic.
I wish there were like a great love story
(04:24):
between like him and his wife or something, but...
No.
But yeah, it's a royal marriage.
They almost never liked each other.
Kind of related.
Exactly.
So Umberto II was born in...
(04:47):
The correct way to say this is Racconigi,
but in the English way, American way, it's Recassani.
Reconnaighi.
Reconnaighi.
See, I best stuck with that one.
I think it's easier, Racconigi.
So he was born in the Racconigi castle in Italy in 1904,
(05:11):
the son of King Vittorio Emanuel III.
Did I say his name right?
Yeah.
Nice.
He's known as the May King because he reigned for only a month in 1946,
from May 9th to June 13th.
Wow.
Oh, I should clarify.
I got a name just for doing that.
(05:32):
I know.
I should clarify that Umberto is known as the May King,
not his father Vittorio.
Oh, okay.
That makes sense.
Yeah, I totally missed that.
I was like, wow, that's a legacy right there.
I know, right?
So we're going to need to back up to King Vittorio's reign
to get a little bit more history on the situation here.
(05:56):
So during the early 1920s, Italy had several very short-lived prime ministers,
not short-lived, short-serving.
As far as I know, they lived.
Is it May King short-serving?
Yeah, no, I don't think any of them were quite that short.
I guess they're used to it.
So these prime ministers could not unify the country
(06:18):
in the face of the growing Italian fascist movement.
And the country was also facing an economic downturn at this time,
which emboldened the National Fascist Party to lead a march on Rome in 1922,
after which Vittorio appointed the leader of the fascists, Benito Mussolini, as prime minister.
(06:40):
So Vittorio did not resist Mussolini's fascist dictatorship at all during the next 15 years.
But when World War II broke out in 1939, he did advise Mussolini against entering the war.
He was like, yo, this is not a good idea for Italy.
Finally.
Yeah.
But obviously, we know Mussolini had other ideas.
(07:04):
He didn't care.
So in June of 1940, Vittorio relented and granted Mussolini sweeping powers
to enter and conduct the war.
However, by 1943, things aren't going so great for the Axis.
So Vittorio managed to overthrow and arrest Mussolini.
(07:27):
But this caused Germany to seize control and set up a puppet state in northern Italy.
And they rescued Mussolini and reinstated him in this northern Italy puppet state.
But so from there, the country descended into civil war.
So now you've got this puppet state against the resistance in southern Italy.
(07:50):
I had no idea.
I know every country's history during World War II is so complex and fascinating.
And then when you try to put them all together, like no wonder people dedicate
their entire careers to this time.
Yeah, it's a lot.
Yeah, it's a lot.
So in June of 1944, Vittorio decides to transfer most of his power as king to Umberto.
(08:19):
And then after Rome was liberated, he went ahead and transferred the rest of his powers
to Umberto and named him Lieutenant General of the realm.
But Vittorio remained the king.
And then in April of 1945, Mussolini is captured and killed by the resistance.
And so the war in Italy basically now has come to an end.
(08:39):
However, civil discontent continued.
So Vittorio abdicated the throne in May 1946 and Umberto became king to try to save the
monarchy, which makes sense because he was like, I made a really bad decision.
Yeah, several really bad decisions, it sounds like.
Vittorio thought making Umberto king would set a positive tone and sway the people to
(09:03):
vote to keep the monarchy.
The Italians had a referendum and on June 2nd, voted to establish a republic and do
away with the monarchy.
Umberto had pledged to uphold whatever the people decided and encouraged everyone to
support the new government.
I feel like that's really big of Umberto, you know?
(09:26):
But also he probably didn't want to get his ass kicked.
Yeah, I'm not sure how much.
Obviously he didn't have enough support from the monarchists to overcome the people who
wanted a republic.
So yeah, he probably saw the writing on the wall.
He might also mean that you think he wanted to be king?
I don't know.
I mean, he obviously spent his entire life up till that point, assuming he would become
(09:50):
king.
But then again, he also had been, they'd been at war for such a long time.
He'd seen Mussolini and other prime ministers in power.
So maybe he knew that as a king, he wasn't really going to be able to do it that much.
Oh, so maybe it's guilt.
Yeah, he probably was like, well, my family really fucked this up for everybody.
(10:13):
So meanwhile, as Umberto is waiting for the final decision of the council of ministers,
which was reached on June 12th, they accepted the people's vote.
His wife, Maria Jose, who was the daughter of King Albert I of Belgium, and his four
children traveled to Portugal, where many European royals had fled during the war.
(10:36):
So Umberto was obliged to hand over all his powers to the prime minister.
And he went into exile in Portugal on June 13th, 1946.
But he actually never abdicated the throne.
So he was deposed, but he never abdicated.
But he never abdicated.
So technically, I guess, if enough monarchy supporters had, you know,
(11:02):
swayed him, he could have maybe tried to make a bid for the throne again, if he had wanted to.
Like you have two options.
You can go to Portugal and live in a spa, or you can deal with politics.
Yeah, or you can try to rebuild a country after it's been devastated by
a world war and a civil war.
(11:23):
No, thank you.
I would be like, nah, you have.
Yeah, the prime minister's got it.
When he left Italy, he tried to appear calm,
but it was apparent that he was desperate and holding back tears.
Oh, I mean, he did love his country.
Oh, oh, yeah, that's true.
That's kind of sad.
Well, you're part of a family that made a big mistake.
(11:47):
So yeah.
And I mean, and when you're when you're an exile, when you're exiled, that means you can't come back
unless there's like a formal proclamation allowing you to come back that the government says you can
come back.
So, you know, he knows he's probably never going to see Italy again.
That is that the well-known Portuguese Pinto Bastão family provided their casqueis residents,
(12:12):
known as the Villa de Este, to house the king and his family.
So if you're going to be in exile, this is this is the way to do it.
Yeah.
If you're going to be an exile, have money.
He's crying.
Hello.
Until he got to casqueis and was like, oh, this is nice.
Yeah.
What what Italy?
(12:33):
And there were so many other wealthy people and royals in casqueis at this time that he was like,
oh, well, it's a party.
Yeah.
He those tears dried up real fast.
So meanwhile, his wife, Maria Jose, left for Merlinga in Switzerland due to an eye sickness.
(12:54):
I think this is very suspect because she took her son with her.
And later, two of their daughters also left for Switzerland.
The king remained alone in casqueis because Maria Jose decided to settle near Geneva in
Switzerland and they remained married, but lived the rest of their lives apart.
OK, so we all know where she's like, oh, no, my eyes, I guess I better go to Switzerland.
(13:18):
Yeah.
I doctors.
If only Portugal had eye doctors.
They were probably Catholic and they couldn't get divorced.
Yeah, pretty much.
I think so.
Yeah.
I love how like that's better than not getting divorces, just living apart and not seeing your
family like.
Yeah. So his only company at this Villa de Esti that he's staying at is his mother's secretary,
(13:45):
Count Dino Olive, Oliveieri.
So that was nice of his mom to let him to let him borrow her.
So you were having like an affair.
I don't know.
I don't know.
It didn't say I couldn't find any more information on it.
OK, it's just so random.
Like the only person in the company was this woman.
Well, it was a man because it's count count Dino.
(14:07):
Oh, it's a man.
Yeah.
So even more so, like, were they roommates?
Wink, wink.
Really not Catholic.
Like, oh, mom, I really need to borrow your secretary.
I simply cannot go into exile without a secretary.
And we all know that Dino is the best.
Oh, my God.
(14:27):
What was he doing there that he needed a secretary?
He had no family.
Yeah, like you can't.
You can't RSVP to your own invitations at this point.
Like, you're not busy.
So, yeah, that's that's.
So while he was there, he received visitors, studied and read on the balcony.
(14:50):
My God, what a life.
Yeah.
He lived there until 1961 when a group of faithful monarchists financed Villa Italia.
So a bunch of monarchy supporters pooled their money and built him a house.
So that is just for him.
So that's how a 2000 square meter plot next door to Villa de Este was built.
(15:16):
The king's final residence and is now known as Villa Italia, which is the name that Umberto gave it.
Which makes sense.
Like, I think that right there shows that he was still like his heart was in Italy.
Because of Portugal's neutral stance during World War Two, the area of Estorro and Cascais became a refuge for thousands of Europeans, including many exiled royals and aristocrats, leading to the nickname of the Coast of Kings.
(15:50):
That's actually cute.
Yeah.
So it's also made it a hotbed for espionage, supposedly inspiring Ian Fleming's James Bond character.
Yeah.
Really?
Yeah, there's actually I was reading some fascinating stories from this area and time.
And so I think we're going to have to do an episode in the future on Estorro hotels and espionage.
(16:15):
You mean the Coast of Kings?
Yes, the Coast of Kings.
That even sounds like a James Bond episode.
Oh, that even sounds like a James Bond movie.
It does.
Yeah.
That would be I bet you we need to watch more James Bond.
Maybe we can learn something.
Yeah.
We already drink martinis.
And we already, you know, worked a little bit on perfecting our spy technique at the Mayflower.
(16:41):
What was it called?
Like the brush and pass or something?
What was the technique called that was perfected?
That's the brush and pass. Yeah.
You just need a really long hallway to like walk.
Yeah. So you guys can hear more about that in our upcoming Mayflower episodes.
Oh, yeah, I forget. We're not giving anything away. Sorry.
(17:05):
After the war, many of the wealthy stayed and created a popular social scene in this area.
So the spectacular location of Via Italia across the road, as I said, from Boca de Inferno
and the wonderful view over the bay made this an ideal location for what else?
The parties that wealthy people like to throw.
(17:28):
Oh, yeah, that place probably is where it was at to party.
Yeah. So the king quickly entered the Astoro luxury circuit and was a constant presence
in social gatherings and other events.
Like all the other wealthy exiles, he took great advantage of the hotel and leisure industry
on the coastline, which enjoyed a very strong boom at the time.
(17:48):
Astoro and Casqueas became very fashionable.
And actually, in one photo of a party, you can see him pictured with Queen Victoria Eugenie,
the Queen of Spain, and some counts from Barcelona.
So it really was just like royalty everywhere.
Yeah, they're going to do what they do best.
King Umberto II was also one of the most visible foreign residents of the area's inhabitants,
(18:12):
walking on the beach and habitually taking part in a series of charity initiatives.
Oh, so he knew a lot of the nice and pleasant.
Yeah.
One of his first acts in Portugal was to visit the Osacolo seaside home in South Pedro do
Acero, which housed mostly Jewish refugee children. Oh, okay. Funny, funny. Interesting.
(18:38):
I don't buy it. I don't buy it.
You don't buy what?
The, the look at me. I care about Jewish kids all of a sudden.
Like your family brought in Mussolini and you were like, oh, it's bad now.
You know what? I'm really nice.
I'm always taking pictures, doing the pictures ceremony of like charities and look at these
(19:01):
kids that survived. I'm like, come on.
Yeah. Yeah.
You're he's obviously he go, you know what?
I don't know. This family sounds like they really are just opportunists
and they're going to go with what saves their ass.
Yeah. Yeah. Let's I mean, let's hope so.
(19:22):
That he would feel some guilt and remorse over the part his family laid in everything.
Maybe, maybe, maybe he does. Okay. I give him credit, but.
Cause he didn't have to like, he didn't have to, to, uh, I'm like, did he just visit or did he like
(19:43):
give them money and make their lives better?
Because now everyone's looking at each other, like who was involved in the fascist regime and
like who, you know, you want to come out clean. Yeah.
So I don't know. I'm a little bit.
I don't know. How old was he during the war? He wasn't like a youngling.
(20:04):
Oh, no. And he was actually, he, he helped lead the army during the war. So until Mussolini
barred him from service, he was active, actively leading them into like, he led the, uh, charge
when Italy invaded France. Okay. So fuck him.
Yeah. We don't like this guy. So yeah. Like anytime a royal does something, uh,
(20:29):
that seems so charitable. Yeah. It's like.
Open edge and be like.
Yeah. Or what are the ulterior motives here?
So upon his deposition, Umberto was barred from ever setting foot on Italian soil again,
but he did remain involved with the Italian people. However, he could,
(20:51):
he supported charities and causes there. And he welcomed anyone from Italy who came to Portugal
to visit him as their former monarch. Oh, okay.
I don't, I wonder how many did that. I mean, I'm sure some did cause he did have supporters,
but, and obviously because they bought them, they built him a house, but, um, he died in 1983
(21:13):
in Geneva where he had gone for bone cancer treatment. So there was no bone backs.
So I think that's, I think Switzerland was like really known for its like advances at the time.
Maybe he wanted to be closer to his family. Yeah.
And also remember Switzerland was also neutral during the war, but Switzerland is a rich country.
(21:34):
Portugal is not. So I'm sure the hospitals and facilities in Switzerland are way more suitable
to what a royal would, would be accustomed to. How old is he? So 1983, that's a long time.
Uh, he was almost, he was almost eight because he was born in 1904.
Oh, wow. Wow. That's old.
(21:58):
So the Villa laid empty and abandoned until 2004 when restoration began to turn it into a hotel.
So it was only a hotel recently. Only. Yeah.
The Villa was expanded and the Grande Real Villa Italia opened in 2007, but many of the palace's
details were retained and influential Portuguese interior designer, Graca Viterbo. Am I saying that
(22:26):
name right? Sounds good to me. Graca maybe because it's got that funky C.
Portuguese interior designer has integrated them with a contemporary style. All rooms
include marble bathtubs and showers and either see or garden views. And the royal penthouse is
in King Umberto's second former living quarters. So the main penthouse is where he used to be.
(22:52):
Yeah. Used to live. Um, so that's crazy. So this place was empty for a long time.
Yeah. Two decades. First like 20 years.
I wonder if like, did nobody could afford to buy it? Like who after he died, like did it,
did it go to one of his children? And they, I think none of his children lived in Portugal.
(23:18):
So maybe they just didn't want it and they were just left it there until somebody came and wanted
to do something with it. Well, Portugal was, I mean, it's, I feel like it had, it's, it started
to have another moment. Obviously it's a beautiful place. And with like young travelers in the past
20 years, 20 to 30 years. So maybe they started investing in things. Sounds like it. Yeah. Yeah.
(23:47):
Yeah. Cause I, I don't think things were super great economically in the eighties.
And so it probably took a while for people to want to invest. Yeah. But it sounds like just a
really romantic place to go. Even, I don't want to say you want to fly all the way to Portugal for a
weekend, but I mean, I would, I would, I'm down. I would, it sounds very romantic and the photos
(24:16):
online. And I mean, it's absolutely beautiful. The food looks amazing. The scenery, the spa, it's,
it looks tranquil. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. And they have a couple of different restaurants in the hotel and
then outside they have, I think like a small eatery next to their seawater pool. They have like an
(24:39):
outdoor saltwater pool for the summer. So that's the end of the most romantic destination for 2025.
This is our suggestion for anyone who has the money and wants to go away on a romantic
getaway, go to Portugal, to this beautiful hotel and let the spirit of King Umberto II
(25:03):
guide you to a fun party. Exactly. Thanks for listening to Hotel History. You can follow us on
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(25:28):
Podcast. If you like what you hear, please leave us a five star review on Apple podcasts and Spotify
so we can reach more listeners.
Hotel history is created for adult audiences.
(00:03):
Content may not be suitable for all listeners.
Discretion is advised.
You're listening to Hotel History.
We take you with us through the sordid history and scandals
of some of the world's most famous and infamous hotels.
I'm D'Etta.
And I'm Yael.
(00:24):
Let's get started.
We're doing a special Valentine's episode.
It's going to be about the Hotel Villa Italia.
You sounded a little Midwestern when you were like episode.
Episode?
I feel like my accent is everywhere.
(00:47):
Yes, we are doing the Grande Real Villa Italia,
which has actually been named Europe's most romantic hotel
at the 2025 Conde Nast Johansson Awards.
It won the best for romance category.
(01:09):
The Villa Italia is located in Cascais, Portugal,
on the Atlantic coast.
So an Italian villa in Portugal.
Why, you may ask.
It has to do with European history.
So Cascais was once a small fishing village
and is known for its beaches, historic architecture,
(01:32):
and natural landscape.
The town is very picturesque with stone houses,
red tile roofs, and narrow cobblestone streets.
So you're beautiful.
When you imagine Europe, imagine this place.
That sounds perfect.
It was a popular destination for aristocrats
(01:52):
in the late 1800s.
Isn't everything?
Yeah, it seems like any place on the beach
or in the mountains called to the aristocrats.
I want to be an aristocrat.
I want to be an aristoCAT.
Everybody wants to be a cat.
(02:17):
Villa Italia has 124 rooms, suites and penthouses,
many with terraces and beautiful ocean or garden views.
And it's positioned perfectly near the beach
so that you have all those beautiful views.
It faces a lighthouse.
It faces the, it's across from the Boca de Inferno,
(02:38):
which is this natural hole in the cliffs
that's called the mouth of hell, basically.
It sounds so beautiful.
I know.
Hell's mouth.
Great band name.
It is.
Oh, it is.
(03:00):
It's this beautiful area.
And then it's also only 20 minutes away from Lisbon.
So if you're wanting to do nightlife,
a little bit of the city, it's like perfectly positioned.
Yeah.
Isn't Portugal kind of small?
Everything's close by.
Yeah, that's true.
Yeah.
By American standards, yes, Portugal is really small.
(03:23):
Of course, it has a spa, which is inspired by Roman bath houses.
And they have the lasso therapy there,
which is basically different treatments involving seawater,
like different seawater tubs at different temperatures
and like seaweed wraps and things like that.
(03:43):
The staff there says that they strive to make guests feel like royalty
because Via Italia was originally built as the home in exile
of the last Italian king, Umberto II.
So this is basically the history of the fall of the Italian monarchy.
Yeah.
(04:03):
It's never just a hotel.
It's like...
Never.
But how...
I have a question.
Is there...
Are we going to learn anything romantic about the history
or it's just a romantic hotel?
I think just based on its location and how gorgeous it is,
I think that's what makes it so romantic.
I wish there were like a great love story
(04:24):
between like him and his wife or something, but...
No.
But yeah, it's a royal marriage.
They almost never liked each other.
Kind of related.
Exactly.
So Umberto II was born in...
(04:47):
The correct way to say this is Racconigi,
but in the English way, American way, it's Recassani.
Reconnaighi.
Reconnaighi.
See, I best stuck with that one.
I think it's easier, Racconigi.
So he was born in the Racconigi castle in Italy in 1904,
(05:11):
the son of King Vittorio Emanuel III.
Did I say his name right?
Yeah.
Nice.
He's known as the May King because he reigned for only a month in 1946,
from May 9th to June 13th.
Wow.
Oh, I should clarify.
I got a name just for doing that.
(05:32):
I know.
I should clarify that Umberto is known as the May King,
not his father Vittorio.
Oh, okay.
That makes sense.
Yeah, I totally missed that.
I was like, wow, that's a legacy right there.
I know, right?
So we're going to need to back up to King Vittorio's reign
to get a little bit more history on the situation here.
(05:56):
So during the early 1920s, Italy had several very short-lived prime ministers,
not short-lived, short-serving.
As far as I know, they lived.
Is it May King short-serving?
Yeah, no, I don't think any of them were quite that short.
I guess they're used to it.
So these prime ministers could not unify the country
(06:18):
in the face of the growing Italian fascist movement.
And the country was also facing an economic downturn at this time,
which emboldened the National Fascist Party to lead a march on Rome in 1922,
after which Vittorio appointed the leader of the fascists, Benito Mussolini, as prime minister.
(06:40):
So Vittorio did not resist Mussolini's fascist dictatorship at all during the next 15 years.
But when World War II broke out in 1939, he did advise Mussolini against entering the war.
He was like, yo, this is not a good idea for Italy.
Finally.
Yeah.
But obviously, we know Mussolini had other ideas.
(07:04):
He didn't care.
So in June of 1940, Vittorio relented and granted Mussolini sweeping powers
to enter and conduct the war.
However, by 1943, things aren't going so great for the Axis.
So Vittorio managed to overthrow and arrest Mussolini.
(07:27):
But this caused Germany to seize control and set up a puppet state in northern Italy.
And they rescued Mussolini and reinstated him in this northern Italy puppet state.
But so from there, the country descended into civil war.
So now you've got this puppet state against the resistance in southern Italy.
(07:50):
I had no idea.
I know every country's history during World War II is so complex and fascinating.
And then when you try to put them all together, like no wonder people dedicate
their entire careers to this time.
Yeah, it's a lot.
Yeah, it's a lot.
So in June of 1944, Vittorio decides to transfer most of his power as king to Umberto.
(08:19):
And then after Rome was liberated, he went ahead and transferred the rest of his powers
to Umberto and named him Lieutenant General of the realm.
But Vittorio remained the king.
And then in April of 1945, Mussolini is captured and killed by the resistance.
And so the war in Italy basically now has come to an end.
(08:39):
However, civil discontent continued.
So Vittorio abdicated the throne in May 1946 and Umberto became king to try to save the
monarchy, which makes sense because he was like, I made a really bad decision.
Yeah, several really bad decisions, it sounds like.
Vittorio thought making Umberto king would set a positive tone and sway the people to
(09:03):
vote to keep the monarchy.
The Italians had a referendum and on June 2nd, voted to establish a republic and do
away with the monarchy.
Umberto had pledged to uphold whatever the people decided and encouraged everyone to
support the new government.
I feel like that's really big of Umberto, you know?
(09:26):
But also he probably didn't want to get his ass kicked.
Yeah, I'm not sure how much.
Obviously he didn't have enough support from the monarchists to overcome the people who
wanted a republic.
So yeah, he probably saw the writing on the wall.
He might also mean that you think he wanted to be king?
I don't know.
I mean, he obviously spent his entire life up till that point, assuming he would become
(09:50):
king.
But then again, he also had been, they'd been at war for such a long time.
He'd seen Mussolini and other prime ministers in power.
So maybe he knew that as a king, he wasn't really going to be able to do it that much.
Oh, so maybe it's guilt.
Yeah, he probably was like, well, my family really fucked this up for everybody.
(10:13):
So meanwhile, as Umberto is waiting for the final decision of the council of ministers,
which was reached on June 12th, they accepted the people's vote.
His wife, Maria Jose, who was the daughter of King Albert I of Belgium, and his four
children traveled to Portugal, where many European royals had fled during the war.
(10:36):
So Umberto was obliged to hand over all his powers to the prime minister.
And he went into exile in Portugal on June 13th, 1946.
But he actually never abdicated the throne.
So he was deposed, but he never abdicated.
But he never abdicated.
So technically, I guess, if enough monarchy supporters had, you know,
(11:02):
swayed him, he could have maybe tried to make a bid for the throne again, if he had wanted to.
Like you have two options.
You can go to Portugal and live in a spa, or you can deal with politics.
Yeah, or you can try to rebuild a country after it's been devastated by
a world war and a civil war.
(11:23):
No, thank you.
I would be like, nah, you have.
Yeah, the prime minister's got it.
When he left Italy, he tried to appear calm,
but it was apparent that he was desperate and holding back tears.
Oh, I mean, he did love his country.
Oh, oh, yeah, that's true.
That's kind of sad.
Well, you're part of a family that made a big mistake.
(11:47):
So yeah.
And I mean, and when you're when you're an exile, when you're exiled, that means you can't come back
unless there's like a formal proclamation allowing you to come back that the government says you can
come back.
So, you know, he knows he's probably never going to see Italy again.
That is that the well-known Portuguese Pinto Bastão family provided their casqueis residents,
(12:12):
known as the Villa de Este, to house the king and his family.
So if you're going to be in exile, this is this is the way to do it.
Yeah.
If you're going to be an exile, have money.
He's crying.
Hello.
Until he got to casqueis and was like, oh, this is nice.
Yeah.
What what Italy?
(12:33):
And there were so many other wealthy people and royals in casqueis at this time that he was like,
oh, well, it's a party.
Yeah.
He those tears dried up real fast.
So meanwhile, his wife, Maria Jose, left for Merlinga in Switzerland due to an eye sickness.
(12:54):
I think this is very suspect because she took her son with her.
And later, two of their daughters also left for Switzerland.
The king remained alone in casqueis because Maria Jose decided to settle near Geneva in
Switzerland and they remained married, but lived the rest of their lives apart.
OK, so we all know where she's like, oh, no, my eyes, I guess I better go to Switzerland.
(13:18):
Yeah.
I doctors.
If only Portugal had eye doctors.
They were probably Catholic and they couldn't get divorced.
Yeah, pretty much.
I think so.
Yeah.
I love how like that's better than not getting divorces, just living apart and not seeing your
family like.
Yeah. So his only company at this Villa de Esti that he's staying at is his mother's secretary,
(13:45):
Count Dino Olive, Oliveieri.
So that was nice of his mom to let him to let him borrow her.
So you were having like an affair.
I don't know.
I don't know.
It didn't say I couldn't find any more information on it.
OK, it's just so random.
Like the only person in the company was this woman.
Well, it was a man because it's count count Dino.
(14:07):
Oh, it's a man.
Yeah.
So even more so, like, were they roommates?
Wink, wink.
Really not Catholic.
Like, oh, mom, I really need to borrow your secretary.
I simply cannot go into exile without a secretary.
And we all know that Dino is the best.
Oh, my God.
(14:27):
What was he doing there that he needed a secretary?
He had no family.
Yeah, like you can't.
You can't RSVP to your own invitations at this point.
Like, you're not busy.
So, yeah, that's that's.
So while he was there, he received visitors, studied and read on the balcony.
(14:50):
My God, what a life.
Yeah.
He lived there until 1961 when a group of faithful monarchists financed Villa Italia.
So a bunch of monarchy supporters pooled their money and built him a house.
So that is just for him.
So that's how a 2000 square meter plot next door to Villa de Este was built.
(15:16):
The king's final residence and is now known as Villa Italia, which is the name that Umberto gave it.
Which makes sense.
Like, I think that right there shows that he was still like his heart was in Italy.
Because of Portugal's neutral stance during World War Two, the area of Estorro and Cascais became a refuge for thousands of Europeans, including many exiled royals and aristocrats, leading to the nickname of the Coast of Kings.
(15:50):
That's actually cute.
Yeah.
So it's also made it a hotbed for espionage, supposedly inspiring Ian Fleming's James Bond character.
Yeah.
Really?
Yeah, there's actually I was reading some fascinating stories from this area and time.
And so I think we're going to have to do an episode in the future on Estorro hotels and espionage.
(16:15):
You mean the Coast of Kings?
Yes, the Coast of Kings.
That even sounds like a James Bond episode.
Oh, that even sounds like a James Bond movie.
It does.
Yeah.
That would be I bet you we need to watch more James Bond.
Maybe we can learn something.
Yeah.
We already drink martinis.
And we already, you know, worked a little bit on perfecting our spy technique at the Mayflower.
(16:41):
What was it called?
Like the brush and pass or something?
What was the technique called that was perfected?
That's the brush and pass. Yeah.
You just need a really long hallway to like walk.
Yeah. So you guys can hear more about that in our upcoming Mayflower episodes.
Oh, yeah, I forget. We're not giving anything away. Sorry.
(17:05):
After the war, many of the wealthy stayed and created a popular social scene in this area.
So the spectacular location of Via Italia across the road, as I said, from Boca de Inferno
and the wonderful view over the bay made this an ideal location for what else?
The parties that wealthy people like to throw.
(17:28):
Oh, yeah, that place probably is where it was at to party.
Yeah. So the king quickly entered the Astoro luxury circuit and was a constant presence
in social gatherings and other events.
Like all the other wealthy exiles, he took great advantage of the hotel and leisure industry
on the coastline, which enjoyed a very strong boom at the time.
(17:48):
Astoro and Casqueas became very fashionable.
And actually, in one photo of a party, you can see him pictured with Queen Victoria Eugenie,
the Queen of Spain, and some counts from Barcelona.
So it really was just like royalty everywhere.
Yeah, they're going to do what they do best.
King Umberto II was also one of the most visible foreign residents of the area's inhabitants,
(18:12):
walking on the beach and habitually taking part in a series of charity initiatives.
Oh, so he knew a lot of the nice and pleasant.
Yeah.
One of his first acts in Portugal was to visit the Osacolo seaside home in South Pedro do
Acero, which housed mostly Jewish refugee children. Oh, okay. Funny, funny. Interesting.
(18:38):
I don't buy it. I don't buy it.
You don't buy what?
The, the look at me. I care about Jewish kids all of a sudden.
Like your family brought in Mussolini and you were like, oh, it's bad now.
You know what? I'm really nice.
I'm always taking pictures, doing the pictures ceremony of like charities and look at these
(19:01):
kids that survived. I'm like, come on.
Yeah. Yeah.
You're he's obviously he go, you know what?
I don't know. This family sounds like they really are just opportunists
and they're going to go with what saves their ass.
Yeah. Yeah. Let's I mean, let's hope so.
(19:22):
That he would feel some guilt and remorse over the part his family laid in everything.
Maybe, maybe, maybe he does. Okay. I give him credit, but.
Cause he didn't have to like, he didn't have to, to, uh, I'm like, did he just visit or did he like
(19:43):
give them money and make their lives better?
Because now everyone's looking at each other, like who was involved in the fascist regime and
like who, you know, you want to come out clean. Yeah.
So I don't know. I'm a little bit.
I don't know. How old was he during the war? He wasn't like a youngling.
(20:04):
Oh, no. And he was actually, he, he helped lead the army during the war. So until Mussolini
barred him from service, he was active, actively leading them into like, he led the, uh, charge
when Italy invaded France. Okay. So fuck him.
Yeah. We don't like this guy. So yeah. Like anytime a royal does something, uh,
(20:29):
that seems so charitable. Yeah. It's like.
Open edge and be like.
Yeah. Or what are the ulterior motives here?
So upon his deposition, Umberto was barred from ever setting foot on Italian soil again,
but he did remain involved with the Italian people. However, he could,
(20:51):
he supported charities and causes there. And he welcomed anyone from Italy who came to Portugal
to visit him as their former monarch. Oh, okay.
I don't, I wonder how many did that. I mean, I'm sure some did cause he did have supporters,
but, and obviously because they bought them, they built him a house, but, um, he died in 1983
(21:13):
in Geneva where he had gone for bone cancer treatment. So there was no bone backs.
So I think that's, I think Switzerland was like really known for its like advances at the time.
Maybe he wanted to be closer to his family. Yeah.
And also remember Switzerland was also neutral during the war, but Switzerland is a rich country.
(21:34):
Portugal is not. So I'm sure the hospitals and facilities in Switzerland are way more suitable
to what a royal would, would be accustomed to. How old is he? So 1983, that's a long time.
Uh, he was almost, he was almost eight because he was born in 1904.
Oh, wow. Wow. That's old.
(21:58):
So the Villa laid empty and abandoned until 2004 when restoration began to turn it into a hotel.
So it was only a hotel recently. Only. Yeah.
The Villa was expanded and the Grande Real Villa Italia opened in 2007, but many of the palace's
details were retained and influential Portuguese interior designer, Graca Viterbo. Am I saying that
(22:26):
name right? Sounds good to me. Graca maybe because it's got that funky C.
Portuguese interior designer has integrated them with a contemporary style. All rooms
include marble bathtubs and showers and either see or garden views. And the royal penthouse is
in King Umberto's second former living quarters. So the main penthouse is where he used to be.
(22:52):
Yeah. Used to live. Um, so that's crazy. So this place was empty for a long time.
Yeah. Two decades. First like 20 years.
I wonder if like, did nobody could afford to buy it? Like who after he died, like did it,
did it go to one of his children? And they, I think none of his children lived in Portugal.
(23:18):
So maybe they just didn't want it and they were just left it there until somebody came and wanted
to do something with it. Well, Portugal was, I mean, it's, I feel like it had, it's, it started
to have another moment. Obviously it's a beautiful place. And with like young travelers in the past
20 years, 20 to 30 years. So maybe they started investing in things. Sounds like it. Yeah. Yeah.
(23:47):
Yeah. Cause I, I don't think things were super great economically in the eighties.
And so it probably took a while for people to want to invest. Yeah. But it sounds like just a
really romantic place to go. Even, I don't want to say you want to fly all the way to Portugal for a
weekend, but I mean, I would, I would, I'm down. I would, it sounds very romantic and the photos
(24:16):
online. And I mean, it's absolutely beautiful. The food looks amazing. The scenery, the spa, it's,
it looks tranquil. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. And they have a couple of different restaurants in the hotel and
then outside they have, I think like a small eatery next to their seawater pool. They have like an
(24:39):
outdoor saltwater pool for the summer. So that's the end of the most romantic destination for 2025.
This is our suggestion for anyone who has the money and wants to go away on a romantic
getaway, go to Portugal, to this beautiful hotel and let the spirit of King Umberto II
(25:03):
guide you to a fun party. Exactly. Thanks for listening to Hotel History. You can follow us on
most social media platforms, Patreon and Substack by searching for Hotel History or Hotel History
(25:28):
Podcast. If you like what you hear, please leave us a five star review on Apple podcasts and Spotify
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