renowned architect working for the Aga Khan, 30 mins along the coast at Porto Cervo. Shortly afterwards architects such as Alberto Ponis, who been an assistant to Denys Lasdun working on the National Theatre in London, arrived to add a gently modernist style to the resort, and Ponis has written several books on the architecture of Porto Cervo and Porto Rafael. Several celebrities built houses in Porto Raphael, choosing it above the more flashy Porto Cervo because there was no tourist hotel, and it was quiet, secluded and far from prying paparazzi. Along with the chapel, the centre of Porto Raphael includes a small delicatessen, one or two little bars, restaurants and boutiques, and at the beach beyond the Piazetta, a wooden pontoon for incoming tenders. There is also a yacht club at Marina Porto Rafael, two or three very small beaches and two tennis courts. One of the first to buy land and build a house, designed by Michele Busiri Vici, was Peter Ward, a brother of the Earl of Dudley. Then came a cousin of the Aga Khan, the Guinness heiress Maureen Dufferin (Maureen Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava) Obituary. In 1961 Raphael Neville was joined by Italian banker Dino Da Ponte and civil engineer, Roddy Wilson, and together they formed the Anglo-Italiana company, offering in total 140 hectares of land between the Fortress at Monte Altura and Punta Sardegna, for private sale and development. All the plots have long since been sold. The resort has always been developed with care and remains valued for its charm and privacy. Raphael Neville had many friends who flocked to his resort,. and he spent his summers in Porto Rafael until his death in 1996. His birthday is celebrated in the Piazetta every year on 11 August. References Raphael Neville, Count of Berlanga, YouTube Marina Porto Rafael Palau Information Obituary of Raphael Neville in La Republica Obituary Corriere della Sera Consorzio of Porto Rafael Ponis on Sardinia University of Chicago Books on Architecture Lord Nelson in Sardinia Travellers Blog portrait of Rafael Neville by Basia Hamilton Geography of Sardinia Seaside resorts in Italy Architecture in Italy Spanish noble families Guinness family Frazioni of the Province of Sassari