History of Hotel Belvedere & Tre Re in Capri is long and interesting: its activity begun in the 2nd half of 1800 by initiative of the landlord Giuseppe Petagna. Many tourist, mostly from Germany, came and Giuseppe decided to widen his house to a real hotel: in 1900 the Hotel Belvedere starts officially.

It was the "Belle Epoque" time and then Capri had peraphs its best season: here came for vacation nobles and highbrows from everywhere, even if largest number was by German, Englishmen and Russians. At Hotel Belvedere spent their holidays three kings: King of Italy and two scandinavian kings, among them Gustavo V, king of Sweden after 1905 (thanks to gentle suggestion by our client Mr. Klangemo Kurt). To emphasize the received honour and pride for what happened the name was changed by adding at the end "Tre Re" (Three Kings). It was also the time of the Triple Alliance with the Central Powers (Germany and Austria-Hungary) and many landlords in Capri changed their activities names into German language to honour their rich and fond German customers: even the street nowadays most prestigeous in Capri, via Camerelle, had a german name (Hohenzollern). Also the Hotel Belvedere e Tre Re gave its tribute to vouge and changed "Tre Re" into "Drei Konige" but keeping a cosmopolitan track by the Gallic expression "Belle-Vue", used also in German language.

When coming Fascism, that declared war to stranger words, the Hotel was named again (and definitely) "Belvedere & Tre Re", but for the rest life in Capri didn't change much: even without excesses and eccentricities of Belle Epoque, Capri remained a protected oasis and was choosen as summer residence by high personalitites of Fascist party, first of all Ciano who settled on Castiglione hill and Curzio Malaparte (even if his joining to Fascism is controversial) who built his wonderful villa on Punta Massullo.

The real break-point in Capri history (and for Hotel Belvedere particularly) was the 2nd World War, when the Hotel was requisitioned by the Italian Navy to set up an Operative Command, and its Aftermath, when it became centre of US Corps Offices in Capri. Then Hotel's owners (Giuseppe and Gelsomina Ogranovich) had to work a lot to avoid additional damages by convincing the SIPPIC (company running electricity service and water system on the island) that it was not their duty to pay the bills for consumption during years '40-'45.

During tourist boom in the Fifties and Sixties, the Hotel was managed in a personal way by Gelsomina (called Ninetta) who took the place of her brother Giuseppe when he prematurely died and that, despite of relatives loss and consequential difficulties, leaded her activity with a strong hand up to she was 85 years old, after that her nephews Costanzo, Francesco and Matilde (actual owners) have taken her place. They carry on the familiar tradition by early Petagna and manage their hotel with unmistakable style of welcome, cordiality and warmth of Capri early landlords, which contributed to make Capri an happy and renown island all over the world. Finally, here's the family tree of Petagna / Ogranovich / Ruocco who have been managing Hotel Belvedere & Tre Re for more than a century: