Before Positano had busloads of tourists, a Missoni store or a vaunted reputation as a must-visit destination on the global jet set circuit, there was the Cinque clan. The Cinques are one of the most storied families in Positano, having cultivated and grown the hospitality industry in this picturesque Amalfi Coast hamlet since the 1930s.

The last several decades of history in Positano -- often called the Gem of the Divine Coast because of its perch on a jagged cliff -- is inextricably linked with Virginia Cinque, 82, the oldest living member of her branch of the family, and their 48-room hotel, Il San Pietro di Positano, arguably one of the best places to stay on the Mediterranean coast.