Lois Kuhle has a peek at the home of a legend in the shipping industry, president of the MSC shipping line Salvatore Sarno
Donna Mia is the name of the house and boat of Salvatore and Sandra Sarno, and Donna is the dog!
The name Donna Mia means “My Woman”, and Salvatore is certainly possessive of his lovely wife, whom he has known all his life.
They grew up together in Nocera Inferiore, in Italy, close to the beautiful Amalfi Coast which overlooks the Mediterranean.
While Salvatore is a well known name in the shipping industry, Sandra is renowned for her efforts in celebrating Italian culture in South Africa – mainly through the Dante Alighieri Society – and for her social work.
Salvatore attained his command of a shipping vessel at the tender age of 26 and subsequently, with Sandra, started working for the Mediterranean Shipping Company, a job which took them all over the world.
The couple has been married for 39 years, 20 of which have been spent in Durban.
“Italians are warm and friendly,” says Sandra as she welcomes us into her La Lucia house, “so please accept my home as it is.”
This is certainly a house with a difference, with a warm, family feel.
Salvatore has taken over the family room with an electric train set, a surprise Christmas gift for their twin grandsons.
Although Sandra doesn’t seem pleased with this new décor, our childlike glee in seeing such a beautiful display, complete with snow capped mountains and miniature people, seems to take the edge off it!
To distract us, she shows us some of the elegant ceramics for which Italy is so famous.
“Each province has its own style of ceramic,” she says, showing us a fine fiddler from Capodimonte near Naples.
“I actually bought this antique piece in Durban. I don’t think they realised how valuable it is.”
Another, a newspaper seller from Calabria, differs dramatically in texture and style.
“Where we come from in Amalfi, they also have some beautiful ceramics, but the style tends to be simpler and heavier.”
The house continues to offer a holistic Italian flavour.
The entrance hall and stairway are clad in authentic Italian Bianco Carrara marble, and the art on the walls is mostly from Florence.
“Bettarini is a well known artist and years ago we bought a piece by Fantuzzi, who was famous for not putting features on people’s faces.”
Salvatore’s pride and joy is a wire yacht made in Cape Town. It was presented to him in recognition of the courageous venture he undertook to lead South Africa into the America’s Cup. He was the brains and motivation behind the yacht Shosholoza, which came seventh in this internationally acclaimed race in 2007.
“Shosholoza was a dream, and I was the dreamer,” he says with true Italian passion. “South Africa has been so good to me and our company and in 2004, when we celebrated 10 years of democracy, I wanted to give something back.”
Thanks to Salvatore’s vision and determination our nation celebrated a memorable moment in yachting history.
Both Salvatore and Sandra have been knighted for their commendable representation of Italy in South Africa. In 2005 Salvatore was awarded the title of Cavaliere in Rome, as being most representative of Italy in the South African shipping industry, and Sandra was acknowledged for her involvement in Italian culture and social work. She also chairs the Dante Alighieri Society.
Their home is filled with a mixture of Italian culture sprinkled with South African touches. Sandra loves elephants and over the years people have given representations of them to her in every shape and form.
Thanks to this vibrant couple the flavour of Italy stands proud, as strong as a cup of espresso, in La Lucia!