Li Galli, also known as Le Sirenuse, is not big Island New archipelago located off the coast of the Amalfi Riviera
The name Sirenuse (“Abode of the Sirens”) comes from the mythological sirens
The archipelago consists of three main islands - the crescent-shaped Gallo Lungo, La Castelluccia, also known as Gallo dei Briganti, and the almost circular La Rotonda. Closer to the coast is the fourth island, Isca, and finally, between Li Galli and Isca lies the rocky outcrop of Vetara

This is the dolphin-shaped island of Sirenuse from the Li Galli (“Roosters”) archipelago, located off the Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy, between Capri and Positano. Li Galli The island is now filled with resorts and hotels.
State employees are asked not to worry and not to fool their heads - this is a very exclusive holiday and “smells”, you know, of tens of thousands of euros. Therefore, let's save money and visit the island THIS way:


We probably have Odysseus to thank for this beauty. Mythical sweet-voiced predators lived on another island not far from Li Galli, led a modest life and knew their craft - they lured sailors with songs, who, having lost their will, led ships straight onto the rocks and died. When the cunning Odysseus filled the ears of his crew with wax and calmly walked past the sirens, they could not bear such neglect and drowned themselves in grief. Their bodies formed rocky islands.
Therefore, in the outlines of which someone sees a siren lying on the waves, and not a dolphin.

On the main island of the archipelago - Gallo Lungo - there was once a monastery, and later a prison. During the reign of Charles II of Naples in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, the Amalfi coast was very often attacked by pirates. To prevent danger, Charles ordered the construction of a watchtower on the ruins of an ancient Roman building on Gallo Lungo. But since Charles did not have enough money for this, he accepted the offer of a certain Pasquale Celentano from Positano, who gave money for construction in exchange for a promise that he would be appointed caretaker of the fortress. The tower, now called Aragonese, was built around 1312. It housed a garrison of four soldiers. Over the centuries, the position of tower keeper changed hands until, with the formation of the Kingdom of Italy, responsibility for the buildings on Gallo Lungo passed to the municipality of Positano.

“Nureyev Island” is what tourists call it. In fact, the geographical name is completely different - “Li Galli Archipelago”. Why an archipelago, because there is not one, but three islands! They are just very small and located close to each other. And they are located in such a way that from Positano they look like one island.

The island is private property and, as you understand, you can visit it only by invitation of the owner. But it’s enough to swim up to him close quarters- this is please! On big beach Positano has several cooperatives offering different types of boats for hire.

The island was first glorified by another Russian dancer and choreographer, Leonid Massine, the discoverer of the Li Galli archipelago.
Leonide Massine went to the West as a young man, as part of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, and made his brilliant career already in Europe - and in America. In the south of Italy, he was provided with hospitality by the writer Mikhail Semenov, who lived in Positano.
It was from here that Massine first saw the rocky ridges of Li Galli. One of them had a tower and other traces of human presence.

Let's give the floor to Leonid Myasin himself.

Myasin Leonid Fedorovich
08.08.1895 - 15.03.1979 “When we finished our season in San Carlo 1916-1917. , Mikhail Nikolaevich Semenov invited me to stay with him and his wife in their summer home in Positano, thirty kilometers south of Naples. In this tiny fishing village, I was fascinated by the whitewashed houses, which were piled one above the other so that it created the feeling of some kind of mountain gorge.

Diaghilev once said that Positano was the only vertical village he had ever seen, and indeed the roads there were nothing more than steep staircases weaving in all directions between the houses. The Semenovs lived on the edge of the village in a charming mill that had been converted into a house.

Positano

On the very first evening, I accidentally looked out of the window and saw an uninhabited rocky island a few miles off the coast.

The next morning I asked Mikhail Nikolaevich about it, and he said that it was the largest of the three Li Galli islands, and the two smaller ones were not visible. The islands belonged to the local Parlato family. This family used them only for spring quail hunting. We took a boat and went to a gray rocky island, on which there was no vegetation except sun-scorched bushes. In the distance was the Gulf of Salerno, and the overall view along the sea was magnificent.

To the south was Paestum, on the north side were the three high cliffs of the island of Capri. I felt that here I could find the solitude I needed if I gave up the debilitating pressures of my chosen career. I decided that one day I would buy Li Galli and make it my home.” No sooner said than done. Semenov bargained with the owners of Li Galli,
after several years of negotiations with local authorities, in 1924, the idea was crowned with success.

Massine settled on the largest island, Gallo Lungo. Although there was nowhere to live there, apart from the ruins of the Saracen observation tower.
Locals they spoke of him as “a crazy Russian who bought a stone island where only rabbits can live.”
Semenov himself also left memories of the legendary purchase

.According to Mikhail Semenov, Diaghilev was very dissatisfied with the purchase made by his favorite: almost because of this archipelago, their relationship was upset and their paths diverged.

S. P. Diaghilev and L. F. Myasin

And from the local prefecture to Rome, to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, they reported that “the purpose of the purchase of Massine could not be established. The islands are good for nothing.”
Massine returned to these unsuitable islands more than once. Here is another testimony of him - from the book “My Life in Ballet”.

“Whenever I'm in last years was free from professional obligations, I spent more and more time on the islands of Li Galli, improving and constructing everything that contributes to have a good rest. Not long ago I began the reconstruction of a 14th-century tower and planned to build a large music room on the ground floor, decorated with beautiful columns of Carrara marble. I also started building a stone cottage at the very southern end of the island and above an outdoor amphitheater overlooking Capri.

For many reasons, the island of Li Galli played an important role in my life. It was there that I composed the choreography for my most famous productions, and it was there that most of the discoveries for my textbook were born.

Maybe this was the reason why I supported Li Galli for years, despite all the difficulties. And they still existed. In January 1964, a storm hit the island, which partially washed away the area prepared for the amphitheater. I was on the island at that time and, seeing huge pieces of concrete falling into the sea with a roar, I started to run. But I was not discouraged and decided to continue building the amphitheater, which I copied from what I saw in Syracuse.

Henri Matisse and Leonide Massine
When all the work was completed, I decided to establish a foundation that would support the island as an artistic center. In this way, I hoped to continue the Diaghilev tradition of young artists, composers, writers, ballet dancers and choreographers coming together to exchange ideas and create new works.

Leonid Myasin with his son, also Leonid - everyone called him Lorca

I have already secured the support of the Italian Tourist Association, and as soon as I have the necessary funds, I will take up this project, for which I have already thought of a name: “Evenings on the Li Galli Islands.”
“It always seemed to me like more than just a refuge; he represented something in my life that I had yet to discover.”
And perhaps that’s why he personally helped workers lay out terraces in abandoned vineyards. He brought hundreds of seedlings from nurseries in Florence and Rome, planted fig trees, rosemary and pine bushes. But the winds off the coast are strong. And every winter the sharp northern tramontano destroyed young weak trees. As a result, Massine learned to distinguish sirocco from mistral by sound and gave preference to cypress trees. They turned out to be less whimsical. For half a century, the Le Galli Islands became a home, a refuge for Massine and his family, his creative laboratory, his office. It was here that he wrote his memoirs, “My Life in Ballet,” and it was here that he thought through his sparkling performances.

Thanks to his efforts, an electric generator, a large house for receptions (Villa Grande) and a small one for accommodating guests, as well as fountains, a garden, a vegetable garden and vineyards appeared on the island. The tower was restored, and dance classes and rooms for students were installed in it.

Determined to spend as much time as possible on the island (at least the whole summer), the dancer came up with an activity for himself - a summer dance school. He even wanted to build a theater, but the foundation was washed away several times by the waves.

Years passed between work and quiet family life. In the mid-1930s, a friend, the architect Le Corbusier, came to visit Massine. Taking a professional look at the dancer’s property, he offered his assistance in remodeling the existing buildings and improving the island.
This is how a swimming pool with a fantastic view of the other two islands of the archipelago appeared on Gallo Lungo, and a modest guest house turned into an aristocratic villa. Snow-white inside, with only views from the windows as decoration, it was called the “White House”.

"The White house"

Chapel on the island


"The White house"

. The bedroom in the guest wing is designed in snow-white tones in a strict minimalist style. The only excess that the master allowed was a luxurious canopy over the bed.

Since it was later rebuilt by several owners, today it is difficult to recognize signs of functionalism in its architecture, they are noticeable only in the layout of the rooms. On the ground floor, the architect placed technical rooms and a kitchen, on the second, overlooking Capri, there are spacious living rooms and an office, and on the shady side, overlooking Positano, there are bedrooms. Leonid Massine spent 50 years to turn the desert into paradise. His guests were many celebrities, including Cocteau, Picasso, Diaghilev. Greta Garbo, Princess Margaret of England, Roberto Rossellini, Ingrid Bergman, Anna Magnani, Sophia Loren, Jacqueline Kennedy, Franco Zeffirelli came here to visit.
He planned to make Li Galli the center of artistic life.

Leonid Myasin Jr. with his wife
After the death of Leonid Myasin in 1979, the islands became the property of his heirs. The family hesitated for some time whether to sell the island, but it was too difficult to maintain it. And 10 years later they were bought by a devoted follower and admirer of Massine, dancer Rudolf Nureyev. Leonide Massine Jr., whom everyone called Lorca, was then dancing at the Paris Grand Opera. Nureyev admired his father’s work and persuaded his son to sell the island. “This place will inspire me,” said the dancer. He did not yet know that he was sick (he was diagnosed with HIV only in 1985) and would soon no longer be able to go on stage.

Nureyev set about arranging the island with the same indomitable energy that was amazing in his dance. Massine's style seemed too ascetic to him, and he conceived a grandiose remodeling of the interiors.

A book by local cultural activist Giuliana Gargiulo was published in Naples. The book has a lapidary title - Rudolf Nureyev. Juliana Gargiulo repeated the operation of the 20s - she helped the dancer find this corner - this time from the heirs of Massine. Nureyev’s motto was: “I want to put my tired feet into the warm sea.”

I WANT MY HOUSE TO BE OPEN TO THE SUN, THE WIND AND THE VOICE OF THE SEA. LIKE A GREEK TEMPLE, AND LIGHT, LIGHT, LIGHT EVERYWHERE!

On the Li Galli archipelago he succeeded. In her book, Giuliana Gargiulo talks in detail about Nureyev’s visits to the islands and to the Italian South in general. Gargiulo writes that Rudolf was not at all worried about Massine's memory, decisively throwing most of the old furnishings and archival papers into the sea. The egocentric dancer created his own world here, with Turkish tiles and Arabic script. “Is this a quote from the Koran?” - Juliana Gargiulo once asked. “No, that’s my mother’s name,” was Rudolf’s answer.

By his order, huge quantities of mosaics and ceramic tiles were brought to the island, which he personally looked through and chose what would be used to decorate the walls. Soon, the interiors of Corbusier’s laconic buildings began to resemble the chambers of the Turkish Sultan.

The interior of the villa has oriental exoticism

Fragment of the music salon in the main building.

Tiles in blue tones and a parquet-like ceramic tile floor create the illusion of coolness in the bedroom even in the hot summer.

Nuriev told journalists that he intends to found a ballet school here: “This is my island and the home of my whole life, which means even more to me than Paris. I always remember it, I think it needs to be changed or repaired. However, the Aragonese Tower, which Nureyev called “Saracenic”, was transformed. Under Massine, a summer dance school was located there; the new owner turned it into housing for countless visitors. Inside there are nine bedrooms, five bathrooms and a gym. The whole flower of the world bohemia came to stay in the Mediterranean paradise,

Merce Cunningham and Glen Talley, as well as dancers, could come here to study, develop choreography, and teach. I’ve already bought a lot of mattresses.” And at the same time: “I don’t want to accept anyone on the island until everything is in perfect order.” At first, Nuriev eagerly set about arranging his possessions. He inscribed his name and an address to Allah in Arabic script above the entrance to the house.

From all his trips, the dancer brought antique furniture and dishes. The “White House”, the main villa and the tower turned into luxurious oriental palaces, bright and exuberant, like the scenery for his latest ballet “La Bayadère”.

Numerous guests (and Nureyev, unlike Massine, was always surrounded by people, and not only welcome ones - the island was literally besieged by boats and yachts of paparazzi and fans)

I ordered an Artmann cabinet grand piano, which was delivered here by helicopter - it remains in the same place to this day. He also bought a gold-plated bathtub in Paris, which was delivered to the island dangerously swinging from a helicopter. However, the owner visited Li Galli only on short visits, and accomplished little in 2-3 days.

In those years, numerous boats came to the island, but mainly to see the legendary dancer. Nuriev even protested in the Italian press, demanding that they stop spying on him.

However, journalists responded that the islands had been purchased, but not the sea. Then the hot-tempered and eccentric Nuriev began to sunbathe and swim in what his mother gave birth to. Soon his health deteriorated greatly. Pietro, the island's caretaker for more than a quarter of a century, recalls Rudolf's last visit: “He arrived in August, it was very hot. But I broke out in a sweat at the mere sight of him: Nuriev was wearing a fur cape - he was shivering.”

He worked as long as he could, despite the cough and fever, was enthusiastically engaged in interior design, sunbathed and rushed around the island on a jet ski. Nureyev believed that the sun and work could cure him. They helped, but only for a while. After the dancer's death in 1993, the island, which formally belonged to the foundation named after him, was empty for several years.

In 1984, HIV was discovered in the dancer’s blood. The disease progressed and Nureyev died from complications of AIDS on January 6, 1993, near Paris.

The new owner, hotelier from Sorrento Giovanni Russo, purchased the island in December 1994 from the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation.

Giovanni Russo (in an orange crown).

Sorrentine hotel magnate, Giovanni Russo, which means “Russian”. He jokingly says that his karma is to buy up Russian places: a little earlier he bought a villa in Sorrento where Maxim Gorky lived. Rousseau is a big fan of Russian culture, and Igor even named his beloved dog, perhaps in honor of Stravinsky. By the way, the Italians see nothing wrong with this; the same Giuliana Gargiulo named her dog Rudolph.
Giovanni Russo stumbled upon the island by accident. “Actually, I wanted to buy a yacht,” he says. - But the lira fell greatly in price, and the model I chose became too expensive. At the same time, a lawyer friend who was involved in Nureyev’s inheritance issues told me that Li-Gally was up for sale. I just had enough money for them.” Some more money and time were spent on restoration, completing the plans of the previous owners and adapting to modern standards of comfort.

Much of the movable property - a magnificent collection of works of art and furniture - was sold at record prices at Christie's auctions in London and New York. Rousseau managed to return only a few things to the island - holders for torches at the entrance to the tower, an office and several mirrors. But the main thing is that he completed what the previous owners did not have time to finish: he put the garden in order, completely decorated the houses and built another, white villa. With the help of his friend Nicoletta, he created an artistic interior. On the first floor in the watchtower there is a spacious kitchen and dining room, on the second, in the rehearsal room, there is a living room with a tiled fireplace and a collection of miniature replicas of yachts, from the Riva boat to the Russian river steamer Alexandria, purchased from a London antique dealer.

An old sea lantern is used as a lamp, and on the mezzanine there is a drum set: “I used to play the drums, but now I mostly make a terrible noise when I’m alone in the house, even the dogs run away,” jokes Signor Russo.

Le Corbusier's villa, whose azure walls match the intensity of color with the sea outside the window, has become a repository of rarities, such as an elephant saddle, adapted as a table, powerful binoculars from a warship, furniture inlaid with mother-of-pearl, mirrors in shell frames, coral bouquets, local ceramics and Murano glass. On the pair of bookcases there are two antique craters, probably belonging to Massine.

Giovanni Russo, hotel magnate from Sorrento. He treated the legacy of the previous owners with care, adding only a few touches of his own: he furnished the rooms with antique furniture, moved his collection of shells to the island

Close connections with the world of ballet helped the owner organize dance events. One summer season, Houston's Dominic Walsh Theater Company gave ballet performances on a terrace overlooking Italy's Amalfi Coast.

Once every six months they were visited by an inspector from the Committee for Cultural Protection to check the condition of the vases.
Hinting at his surname, Signor Russo says that he is the third Russian on this island: “I try to continue the tradition and preserve the spirit of the place. Without the Russians there would be nothing here, and I sincerely believe that the island belongs to Russia.
With a wastewater treatment system, solar panels, a vegetable garden, an orchard, a chicken coop and a fishing pier, the island became a small, off-the-grid paradise.

Russo planned to build a hotel on Li Galli, but changed his mind and put the islands up for sale. The fate of the “Abode of Sirens” is again in question. Who knows who else will be lured here by their singing?

Let's walk around the island again, it's unlikely to visit there

Maybe a fourth Russian will appear...

From the Chapel and Tower there is a road leading down to the sea.

The helipad is located directly below the Tower.

Villa Giovanni is peach-colored, with a white house and chapel on the left.

Villa Giovanni

Terrace of Villa Giovanni

Entrance to the villa

Main living room

Game room

Library

Tiled bedroom.

The bathroom is also tiled.

Kitchen in green instead of blue and white.

The dining terrace looks like a swimming pool.

Pizza oven at Villa Giovanni.

Tower

Salt water pool.

Tower Hall

Kitchen

Dormitory rooms of the Tower.

Tower Bathrooms.

White House and Chapel
White House overlooking the Chapel.

This is a bedroom in the White House. Please note that the floor is wood.

Bathroom with large antique mirror. Beautiful picturesque view from the window.

35.

The area near the White House.

49.

50.

51.

52.

53.

This is the “Russian” island in Italy - Li-Galli “Rooster”

Throughout the 20th century, the Li Galli archipelago basked in the glory of its owners - Russian dancers Leonid Massine and Rudolf Nureyev. But no one knows what will happen to the legendary islands tomorrow

A fountain gurgles on the villa's terrace all year round. PHOTO: Massimo Listri

“In the history of the Li Galli archipelago - three rocky islands off the Amalfi coast of Italy - two stars of Russian ballet, a medieval monarch and ancient sirens left their mark. The latter settled here thanks to the “father of geography” Strabo: it is believed that with his light hand the archipelago received the name Sirenuse - “Abode of the Sirens”. The ancients imagined these creatures in the guise of birds with human heads - it is to this image that the current, less poetic, name of the islands - Li Galli ("Roosters") refers us.

The watchtower on the island of Gallo Lungo was completely reconstructed when Rudolf Nureyev became the owner of the archipelago. PHOTO: Massimo Listri

Roman triremes* once anchored off the coast of the largest island, Gallo Lungo; this barren rocky patch of land was later home to a monastery and a prison. In the 14th century, the Neapolitan king Charles II erected a watchtower here to protect against Saracen pirates. Later it received the name Aragonese. Perhaps it was she who attracted the attention of the dancer Leonid Massine, who arrived as part of Diaghilev’s troupe in the town of Positano, closest to the islands. The picturesque archipelago fascinated Massine so much that in 1924 he bought the islands from their then owner.

The interior of the villa combines oriental exoticism with classic design. The connecting link is color. Next to the Moroccan table in the living room there is a Swan chair, designed by Arne Jacobsen, Fritz Hansen. PHOTO: Massimo Listri

The dancer settled on the island of Gallo Lungo and immediately developed vigorous activity there. On the ruins of Roman buildings, he built a villa and a guest house. One of them came in very handy, the architect Le Corbusier, who offered the owner assistance in construction. The great modernist worked especially successfully on the guest building, turning the modest building into an elegant mansion with snow-white interiors. After Massine's death in 1979, the islands passed to his heirs, and ten years later they were acquired by Massine's devoted follower Rudolf Nureyev.

Living room in the watchtower. A telescope, a lamp on a tripod and a model of a sailboat by the fireplace help create a “sea” atmosphere. PHOTO: Massimo Listri Fragment of the music salon in the main building. On the sofa there are pillows from Maestro Raphael. The image of coral on pillows is a motif typical of the Amalfi Coast and can be seen on many local crafts. PHOTO: Massimo Listri
Music room in the main building. The walls are lined with antique tiles. The table comes from Africa. In the left corner of the room there is a Bang & Olufsen audio system, in the right there is a concert grand piano. PHOTO: Massimo Listri

By order of the new owner, a great lover of tiles and mosaics, tons and tons of antique ceramic tiles with intricate patterns were brought to Gallo Lungo. The dancer personally selected samples to decorate the walls. Soon, the interiors of Corbusier’s laconic buildings began to resemble the chambers of a Turkish sultan.

Tiles in blue tones and a parquet-like ceramic tile floor create the illusion of coolness in the bedroom even in the hot summer. PHOTO: Massimo Listri

The Aragonese Tower, which Nureyev called “Saracenic,” was also transformed. Under Massine, a summer dance school was located there; the new owner turned it into housing for countless visitors. Inside there are nine bedrooms, five bathrooms and a gym. The entire flower of the world's bohemia came to stay in the Mediterranean paradise, but it did not last long - until 1993.

In the design of the guest bedroom, delicate yellow accents set the tone. PHOTO: Massimo Listri

After Nureyev's death, Li Galli was bought by Giovanni Russo, a hotel magnate from Sorrento. He treated the legacy of the previous owners with care, adding only a few touches of his own: he furnished the rooms with antique furniture, and moved his collection of shells to the island. Russo planned to build a hotel on Li Galli, but changed his mind and put the islands up for sale. The fate of the “Abode of Sirens” is again in question. Who knows who else will be lured here by their singing?

The floor of the villa is tiled with Vietri sul Mare tiles, imitating classic parquet. On the shelves there is a collection of shells collected by Giovanni Russo. PHOTO: Massimo Listri Bathroom in guest house. Modern plumbing juxtaposes with an antique mirror in a lush baroque frame. PHOTO: Massimo Listri The bedroom in the guest house built by Le Corbusier is decorated in a minimalist manner. The only “excess” is a spectacular canopy over the bed. PHOTO: Massimo Listri

Li Galli, also known as Le Sirenuse, is a small island archipelago located off the coast of the Amalfi Riviera between the island of Capri and 6 km southwest of Positano. The name Sirenuse comes from the mythological sirens, who, according to legend, lived on the islands in ancient times. The archipelago consists of three main islands - the crescent-shaped Gallo Lungo, La Castelluccia, also known as Gallo dei Briganti, and the almost circular La Rotonda. Closer to the coast is the fourth island, Isca, and finally, between Li Galli and Isca lies the rocky outcrop of Vetara.

They say that in ancient times there lived sirens on Li Galli, the most famous of which were Parthenope, Lycosia and Ligeia. One of them played the lyre, the other the flute, and the third sang. In the 1st century BC. they were mentioned by the Greek geographer Strabo. In ancient times, sirens were described as creatures with the bodies of birds and the heads of women, and in the Middle Ages they turned into mermaids. By the way, the modern name of the archipelago - Li Galli - is related to the bird-shaped bodies of the sirens, since it means “chicken”.

On the main island of the archipelago, Gallo Lungo, there was once a monastery, and later a prison. During the reign of Charles II of Naples in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, the Amalfi coast was very often attacked by pirates. To prevent danger, Charles ordered the construction of a watchtower on the ruins of an ancient Roman building on Gallo Lungo. But since Charles did not have enough money for this, he accepted the offer of a certain Pasquale Celentano from Positano, who gave money for construction in exchange for a promise that he would be appointed caretaker of the fortress. The tower, now called Aragonese, was built around 1312. It housed a garrison of four soldiers. Over the centuries, the position of tower keeper changed hands until, with the formation of the Kingdom of Italy, responsibility for the buildings on Gallo Lungo passed to the municipality of Positano. And in 1919, the island was seen by Leonid Massine, a Russian choreographer and dancer, who three years later bought it and began turning it into a private residence. First of all, Massine restored the Aragonese Tower and turned it into an inn with a dance studio and an open-air theater. Unfortunately, this theater was subsequently destroyed during a storm. Also, Massine, with the help of designer Le Corbusier, built a villa on Gallo Lungo, from the bedrooms of which there was a wonderful view of Positano. There were also huge terraced gardens overlooking the cape of Punta Licosa and the island of Capri.

After Massine's death, the island was acquired by another Russian dancer, Rudolf Nureyev, in 1988, who spent the last years of his life here. He refurnished the villa in Moorish style and decorated the interiors with tiles from Seville. After Nureyev's death, in 1996 the island was bought by Giovanni Rossi, a hotel owner from Sorrento, who turned the villa into a hotel.

As for the other island, Isca, it was once bought by a screenwriter from Naples, Eduardo de Filippo. Today his son owns the island. Iska has a nice villa and garden facing the cliffs.

The Li Galli archipelago is a fabulous corner of Italy, where even time slows down. The largest island is simply called “Nuriyev Island” - in honor of its former owner, stars ballet by Rudolf Nureyev. Recently, luxury villas on the island can be rented.

Li Galli – a fabulous retreat

Nuriyev Island is a small rocky island that does not have luxurious forests and fields, legendary cathedrals and palaces. But there is an azure clear sea, the water of which amazes with its richness of colors, and three beautiful villas surrounded by a magnificent garden. A huge tower rises above the rocky shore. And, most importantly, here you can enjoy solitude, which is so difficult to find in the modern hectic world.

A special mystical atmosphere reigns on Nuriev Island. If you believe the legends, sweet-voiced sirens used to live nearby. Having failed to seduce the cunning Odysseus, the cruel sirens could not endure such humiliation. They drowned themselves, and their beautiful bodies turned into the rocky islands of Li Galli.

Today, when seafarers are no longer threatened by sirens, you can calmly admire the splendor of the islands. But to moor there you need a special invitation - the Li Galli islands have long been private property.

Owners Li Galli

Li Galli - luxurious gardens and elegant villa

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Li Galli islands belonged to the Russian choreographer Leonid Massine. Thanks to the first owner, luxurious gardens and an elegant villa appeared on the archipelago.

In the 80s, the islands were acquired by the famous dancer Rudolf Nureyev, who completed the design of Massine's villa and began construction of a second, no less beautiful one. Nureyev loved to visit Lee Galli and dreamed of creating the most prestigious ballet school there. The largest island of the archipelago is still named after the dancer.

Li Galli's third owner, Sorrento hotel magnate Giovanni Russo, bought the islands at the end of 1994. He also inherited Nureyev's magnificent collection of works of art and rare furniture, which Rousseau sold at record prices, leaving only a few masterpieces for himself. Rousseau completely completed both villas and erected another one.

Earlier this year, Rousseau put the islands up for sale.

Nureyev Island – exclusive luxury

Lee Galli for rent

Nureyev Island has three magnificent villas with a wonderful view of the sea from the windows, a watchtower, a helipad, a cozy garden on the rocky coast, a small water purification plant and a vegetable garden where organic products are grown.

The interior of the villas amazes with their aesthetic decoration and functionality. Many unusual details are used here, for example, a saddle adapted for a table. The frames of the huge mirrors are decorated with shells and coral bouquets. Antique vases adorn the bookcases. Four reception rooms, decorated with special chic, will allow you to organize an unforgettable evening with friends.

On the island stars Nureyev's classical dance center has three swimming pools and a small spa center.

Li Galli has everything you need for a wonderful holiday in an atmosphere of peace and privacy. If you are tired of noisy resorts, Nuriev Island is at your service. After staying here, you will gain strength and look at the world with new eyes.

Not far from Positano - one of the most beautiful cities in southern Italy, about 6 km southwest of the commune on the Amalfi coast, the archipelago of the Li Galli islands is located. This small archipelago is also known as the sirens, gallons or "roosters". The name Sirenousas is due to the fact that in Greek mythology, sirens symbolized the dangers that awaited sailors. According to legends, in ancient times they actually lived on these islands. The most famous of the sirens were Parthenope, Leucosis and Ligeia. One of them sang, another played the lyre, the third played the flute. In the 1st century BC they were even mentioned by the Greek geographer Strabo.

Local folklore says that this is where King Odysseus from Homer's epic poem met the Sirens during one of his travels. He managed to survive the musical onslaught by tying himself to the mast of his boat. Therefore, it is not surprising that sailors were afraid of these places, since it was in this part of the sea that currents often carried ships towards the rocks, which led to shipwrecks.

History of the Li Galli Islands

The modern name Li Galli, oddly enough, is also associated with sirens. It turns out that in Greek mythology, sirens were half women, half birds (the bodies of birds and the heads of women), but not half fish, as they were often portrayed later and shown in movies (they only turned into mermaids in the Middle Ages). Therefore, the word “galli” (translated from Italian as “roosters”) can also be associated with “feathered sirens”.

The archipelago consists of three main islands and several small islets. The best known are Gallo Lungo, La Castelcuccia and La Rotonda, but Isca and Vetara are also sometimes mentioned. The main island of the Gallo Lungo archipelago is particularly noteworthy because of its history and geographical features, as well as a crescent shape. From the time of Ancient Rome patricians and senators loved to relax here. Steeped in mythology and breathtaking natural beauty, this island attracts travelers for a reason. However, until recently, not everyone could visit here, since some of the most beautiful islands in Italy were private property.

Once there was a monastery here, later - a prison. During the reign of Charles II in the Naples period of the late 13th and early 14th centuries, the Amalfi coast was very often attacked by pirates, and to prevent the danger, Charles ordered the construction of a watchtower on the ruins of an ancient Roman building on Gallo Lungo. Over the centuries, the watchtower post changed hands, and with the formation of the Italian kingdom, responsibility for the buildings on Gallo Lungo passed to the municipality of Positano. Despite the rich history of the island, it was in the 20th century that it gained particular fame. By the way, after this the Italians began to call Li Galli “Russian islands”.

The fact is that in 1924, after several years of negotiations with local authorities, Li Galli was acquired by the dancer and choreographer of Russian origin Leonid Myasin, the main director of the famous Russian ballet seasons of Sergei Diaghilev. Gradually he began to turn the island into a mansion. The snow-white building with an exceptional view of Positano has received the nickname “White House”. It is worth noting that the famous architect Le Corbusier took part in the creation of the beautiful villa. There were also huge terraced gardens overlooking Cape Lykos, the island of Capri and other Italian landmarks.

Over the years, famous people have visited the Massine Villa, including English Princess Margaret Rose, US First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, actresses Greta Garbo, Anna Magnani, Sophia Loren, Ingrid Bergman, directors Roberto Rossellini and Franco Zeffirelli and many others.


After the death of Leonid Massine in 1988, the islands of Li Galli came into the possession of the great Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev. He set about beautifying the island with the same indomitable energy that had amazed him in his dance. The style of the previous owner seemed too ascetic to Nureyev, and he planned a grandiose change in the interiors. Gradually, the main villa and tower turned into luxurious oriental palaces, bright and pompous. They say that he loved this island so much that he even kissed the stones before leaving. After Nureyev's death in 1996, the island was purchased by Sorrento hotelier Giovanni Russo, who converted the villa into a hotel. Today, three mansions with magnificent terraces line the islands. Their total living area is more than two thousand square meters. The Li Galli Islands are often called one of the most