Elsa Peretti's most precious jewel is her private collection in Sant Martí Vell

Sant Martí Vell (Gironès)In Sant Martí Vell, a tiny village on the border between Gironès and Empordà, at the foot of the Sanctuary of Les Àngels, where barely 300 people live, lies one of the most precious and unknown artistic gems of the most important Girona regions. Tiffany & Co., with an unmistakable and revolutionary style: elegant, functional, everyday, and ergonomic, inspired by the shapes and beauty of nature. Photographers and painters like Salvador Dalí, discovered Empordà and, specifically, Sant Martí Vell. In 1968, he bought a very humble first rural house, when he still had one foot in New York, but in the 1980s, after the AIDS epidemic, he established it as his personal refuge and turned this corner into a home. until his death in 2021.

During these 50 years, the artist dedicated his heart and soul to restoring and transforming the village, which at the time was in a state of disrepair, to forge its current image as a charming rural town, with houses with gardens and warm stone. He renovated the Romanesque church in the main square and many farmhouses, always maintaining a sense of consistency with traditional architecture. Furthermore, Peretti did not live in isolation, but was interested in Catalan folk culture and the local artisans, while maintaining her relationship with famous artists such as Liza Minnelli and Richard Hamilton, who came to visit her in the village.

Right around the square, the designer's entire conglomeration of houses is perfectly preserved, conceived as a single, tentacular house that expanded over time. From the outside, they blend seamlessly into the surroundings, and inside, all the rooms are like museum pieces that fuse art, design, and architecture with works and interventions by artists such as Robert Llimós, Xavier Corberó, Andy Warhol, and Lanfranco Bombelli. Today, Tiffany continues to produce her exclusive designs with artisans from Catalonia and Italy. But beyond the jewelry, her legacy lives on through the Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation, based in Liechtenstein and also with a presence in Sant Martí Vell. The foundation, which also bears the name of her father, a very important Italian businessman in Italy at the beginning of the 20th century, is responsible for preserving her legacy and caring for the houses in Catalonia. For now, only close family friends or scholars are allowed to visit, but in the future, always respecting the artist's privacy and wishes, the intention is to open them to visitors.

The work of the Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation

Stefano Palumbo, one of the executive directors of the Elsa Peretti Family Office, which owns the foundation, explains its mission: "Preserving Elsa Peretti's legacy through the Foundation is a way to honor the extraordinary vision she brought to the world of design, art, and architecture. Through the Foundation, we continue to keep her values, creativity, sustainability, and innovation alive, while sharing the essence of her work with the world. Elsa's legacy is more than just beautiful jewelry;

The foundation is studying the best way to offer tours of the private collection without distorting the essence of the town and its houses. It is not yet known how and when this will materialize, but the funders' horizon is to build a museography around the designer's legacy in Sant Martí Vell: "We are committed to doing so in a way that respects the intimacy of the space and the personal atmosphere she created. Sant Martí Vell is an evolving artistic project, and we want to maintain it. "house, it's a living work of art. We're considering how to allow visitors to experience it, but we'll do so carefully, ensuring it remains true to Elsa's spirit, without overwhelming her personal and artistic energy," Palumbo warns.

Link with the Princess of Girona Foundation

Beyond this work, the Catalan branch of the foundation, which is associated with the Princess of Girona Foundation, organizes various initiatives related to Peretti's legacy. This June, for example, together with the Princess Foundation, it organized a day of training and artistic activities with young creators, sponsored by the BMW car brand: "Supporting young talent was something Elsa loved, and the Foundation carries this torch forward. We provide opportunities for new voices to shine and express themselves, and that's precisely what we're doing," concludes Palumbo.

An extraordinary visit

A tour of the houses—Casa Pequeña, Casa Grande, Can Noves, Ca l'Elsa, and Casa Caballo—is impressive. He built them gradually, moving them around according to his mood and the time of year. Now, despite the passing of the years, they are extremely well-maintained, spotless, everything perfect and in its place, ready to be used at any time, like a living museum. To ensure everything is where it belongs, the work of people like Dario, his former assistant, is essential. This is how the director of the family office explains: "The work behind preserving these houses goes beyond simple restoration and conservation; it's about immersing yourself in the history of the art Elsa created here and understanding the revolution she brought to design." And he adds: "Although the houses require constant care, restoration, and conservation, it's not just about preserving the structures; it's about preserving the spirit of Elsa's vision. This is a labor of love involving an extraordinary team, many of whom have worked with Elsa for decades. Every corner of the house remains true to the beauty and artistic integrity she so carefully cultivated."

The interiors of the houses, connected by underground tunnels and interior courtyards, are a direct testament to her way of living and creating. Each space is filled with still lifes, altars, and compositions, all conceived by Peretti, like a self-curated exhibition of her life. Room after room, there are decorative pieces inspired by the village, as well as exotic examples of wooden furniture or porcelain from China, Japan, or Africa, in addition to numerous examples bearing her signature, such as all the cutlery, with its sinuous shapes, or the famous pendants of theopen heart. Each room is different, ranging from almost monastic austerity to almost stage-like layouts. Throughout the tour, the favorite pieces from his collection interact in display cases with all kinds of artifacts and works of art from around the world.