Solomeo, a medieval hamlet located in the central Italian region of Umbria, can trace its history back to the 12th century. The site’s Church of Saint Bartholomew was first completed in the late 12th to early 13th century; nearby, Solomeo’s past residents built a castle to fortify their settlement in 1391.

But to many, it is Brunello Cucinelli who put Solomeo on the map. The Italian creative director and agenda-setting entrepreneur first placed Solomeo at the heart of his empire in 1985.