Madonna celebrated her 66th birthday this week with loved ones in Italy at a resort that is no stranger to famous faces.
The pop icon marked her special day on Friday, August 16 by enjoying time abroad with her two daughters, 11-year-old twins Esther and Stella, and her rumored boyfriend, footballer Akeem Morris.
While in Italy, Madonna stayed at the Villa TreVille resort in Positano — the same five-star hotel that Jennifer Lopez booked while vacationing in Italy earlier this summer.
The property, overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, where rooms can cost more than $2,000 a night, is the former summer retreat of director Franco Zeffirelli. It is now owned by Govind Friedland and managed by General Manager Martino Acampora.
The Villa TreVille resort was previously profiled for PEOPLE by an editor News from Positano, Michele Cinque, as “one of the most luxurious properties in the world, but at the same time very quiet and private.”
Estere, Madonna and Stella at the world premiere of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ on July 22, 2024.
Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Madonna spends her 66th birthday in Italy with her twins and a whispering boyfriend: ‘Happy birthday to me’
During her birthday celebrations over the weekend, Madonna took part in the traditional Italian Ferragosta celebration from the balcony of La Tagliata restaurant in Montepertuso, which included fireworks over the Amalfi Coast.
The “Like a Prayer” singer and her guests — a group of about 30 people in total — were also treated to an exclusive dinner at Pompeii Archaeological Park, a source told PEOPLE.
The dining experience, served by the three-Michelin-star restaurant Quattro Passi and overseen by chef Vincenzo Castaldo of Villa TreVille, is said to be inspired by the Mediterranean diet and culinary traditions of the Amalfi Coast.
Never miss a story — subscribe to PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
According to a source, Quattro Passi chefs Antonio and Fabrizio Mellino curated the menu to adhere to Madonna’s penchant for simple, Mediterranean-inspired dishes — while incorporating local ingredients. Among these ingredients were organic vegetables, seafood delicacies from the Sorrento peninsula, local Menaica anchovies and homemade bread.
The chef’s signature dishes served at Madonna’s birthday dinner included mini penne with zucchini and escarole garnished with spiced olives and pine nuts, bruschetta with Sorrento tomatoes and olives, the source added.
Among other delicacies, Madonna and her loved ones were treated to white grouper and sea bream with herbs from the local Monte San Costanza, beef tenderloin, potato salad, focaccia pizza and eggplant dishes, according to the source.
Desserts from the Campania region were also available, including rum-laced baba cakes, sfogliatelle, chocolate and coffee profiteroles and Sorrento lemon tarts.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(731x362:733x364)/Madonna-Concert-Delay-tout-061924-341d894a1b7f47348868fe6a24bb882e.jpg)
Madonna performs on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on May 4, 2024.
PABLO PORCIUNCULA/AFP via Getty
Every place where Jennifer Lopez stayed, ate and shopped during her vacation in Italy
Madonna and her loved ones later arrived at the ancient theater in the Archaeological Park of Pompeii around 22:30, when they had the opportunity to experience a performance of the local youth project, Sogno di Volare (Dream of Flight), funded by Madonna.
They were also led by the director of the park, Gabriel Zuchtriegel.
“The Dream of Flying project so generously supported by Madonna is strategic for Pompeii because it addresses the people who live in this beautiful and complex territory, especially young people, and makes them the protagonists of an experience through which we wanted to show that art and culture can truly change our lives, ” Zuchtriegel said in announcing the project, which the pop superstar has funded through his Ray of Light Foundation until 2025.
The PEOPLE Puzzler has arrived! How fast can you solve it? Play now!
Madonna previously toasted her 66th birthday on Instagram with several glamorous photos – including some of her and Morris shirtless – captioned: “Back to Italy…🇮🇹 Happy birthday to ME 🦁✨🎂🥂🇮🇹♥️.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education