Stationery master

Papers, pens and prints on the Amalfi Coast

I am not generally one to seek a concierge’s opinion when it comes to shopping, but I made an exception on a recent trip to the Amalfi Coast because the hotel I stayed at – the Hotel Caruso in Ravello – was the height of elegance and tasteful style, and I just knew their picks would be spot-on. Such was the case with La Scuderia del Duca, a tiny gem of a stationers located in the shadow of Amalfi’s spectacular Duomo. It could be easily missed, but those who find it will discover a cache of handmade writing papers, ink pens, seals and wax seals, as well as maps and prints, art tomes and exquisite 19th-century antiques.

A narrow, unassuming storefront gives way to a light, bright space. Part workshop, part gallery, it is lovingly curated by Andrea De Luca and Giovanna Fusco, who have amassed a fascinating breadth of offerings from a mix of periods and styles, including Grand Tour watercolours juxtaposed with boxed sets of modern notecards bearing the subtle watermarks of local paper mills (€50.50 for 50 cards).

Ever a fool for stationery – especially the beautifully made Italian variety – I stocked up on everything from painters’ packs of pH-neutral, acid-free, ivory paper with frayed edges (€14 for 10 sheets) to sets of Quadrato and Lily of the Valley lace-patterned notecards (€17.50). I also discovered mini folded cards (€7.50) featuring floral motifs created by laser fretwork, which I fancied as place cards, as well as a colourful array of glass pens (€12 each) and inks in shades of gold, turquoise and a brilliant bordeaux (€6.50 each) – all bottled with cork lids and sealed with wax.

For those not worried about travelling light, there are calfskin-leather photo albums (from €76) with thick, ivory pages and acid-free tissue papers, as well as hand-sewn notebooks (from €51) for sketching (in my case, the picturesque coastline). A medieval-inspired range of notebooks (€122) featuring soft covers, as well as more traditional marbled-paper and leather versions (from €42), round out the journal offerings, while books decorated with fish, galleons, mermaids or vibrant sea coral (from €8.50) make for a more unusual choice of seaside souvenirs.

But what truly wows is La Scuderia del Duca’s Plexiglas floor (first picture) – a contemporary touch that allows a view of the endless stacks of multicoloured paper below – and floods the space with light. It is just one more unexpected touch in a shop that seamlessly melds old-world techniques and materials with a design sensibility that is thoroughly of the moment.