Dear friends,
welcome to our website, a website that the staff at Di Meo have produced with a great deal of care. Here you’ll find everything you need to know about Marrakech, where we will be celebrating the 2011 edition of the Di Meo Calendar.
Why Marrakech? I’ve been asked that question so many times that it’s perhaps time I explained the reasons for my choice. If these personal details don’t interest you, then please skip the paragraphs below and take a look at the ‘definitely useful and essential’ information you need to book flights, hotels and restaurants on the website.
Those who know me well also know that I am a curious traveller and that I am always studying places, their history and the lives of the people who live there.
I had long been hearing news of friends from all over the world who, enchanted by the beauty of the place, had bought riads in Marrakech and succeeded in renovating them – almost without a hitch (lucky them) – with excellent results, thanks to the expertise and skill of local builders and craftsmen.
I had to see for myself and, finally, in March of this year, armed with hundreds of addresses, I took off. I had also been inspired by reading a book by Edmondo De Amicis, a very interesting travelogue of a trip to Morocco at the end of the 19th century, following the first diplomatic mission of the new Kingdom of Italy and illustrated with sophisticated and attractive drawings and sketches by two painters. This is where I got the idea for the 2011 calendar, but that’s another story.
My riad-owning friends were right: Marrakech is absolutely fascinating. The light, the palm trees, the domes of mosques, the fragrances, the colours, the quiet lanes. I had found the ‘home’ for my celebration.
When you come to M., dear friends, you will be immediately spellbound by the enchantment of a happy land. And if you can’t make it, you must read Elias Canetti’s little book on M. and discover how a great author can bring a place to life with words.
But enough talk. It’s time to book those flights, hotels and restaurants so you can join Erminia, Roberto and I on the 13th of November in the enchanted place that is the Mandarin Oriental. There will be other surprises and events too, but for now, they’re all under wraps.

Generoso di Meo