Although the exact year of construction is not known, reliable sources of the time indicate that the house already existed in May 1814, as the Emperor Napoleon sheltered there when a storm delayed his passage towards the isle of Pianosa.
In 1898 the Florentine Count Federigo Mellini and his wife Francesca visited the granite quarries of Seccheto, in the southwestern part of Elba, which they eventually acquired. They were so stunned by the rough beauty of that uncontaminated landscape, that they immediately also decided to buy the large mansion that overlooked the bay.
In 1930 Federigo's son Piero, a young lawyer, took over the management of the family business and began to spend most of his time in Elba. With the help of his beloved fiancée, Colette Marmont, he also restructured the villa to give it its current aspect.
Piero and Colette adored that yellow mansion where they had found their happiness more than any other place in the world. They were inspired by Horace's Odes to make iste terrarum mihi praeter omnes angulus ridet (meaning this piece of land makes me smile more than any other place) the motto of the house.
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Thanks to the Mellini's family, Seccheto finally acquired access to electrical energy and its inhabitants not only found work in the quarries but also benefitted from better medical care, drugs and qualified consultation that the Mellini's visiting friends, professors and doctors, graciously offered to the local population.
During his long stays in Elba, Piero, a brilliant worldly dandy, enjoyed hosting friends from all over the world, especially politicians and intellectuals: from George Drew, Prime Minister of Ontario to Indro Montanelli, a famous Italian journalist and his wife Colette Rosselli (goddaughter of Colette Marmont), many enjoyed fishing, sailing and swimming in the crystal-clear waters of the beach of Cavoli, then owned by Piero.
When Piero and Colette passed away, towards the end of the 70’s, Piero's niece Cristina and her children Fiammetta and Guglielmo took over the helm of the property. Since then they have worked relentlessly improving its hospitality, while respecting its story and tradition, so that it continues to smile to all the visitors.