House Tour
Coming in through the french windows from the garden we walk into the supersize Entrance Hall which feels like an indoor/ outdoor space. Starring back at you from the other end of the hall is the huge Portone, the 4 m high main door which takes up the whole of the opposite wall. It’s a wonder to behold.
The floor of the entrance hall is made of hand-worked marble flags, a rough finish that was commonly used in old buildings in this part of Sicily, but is very difficult to find today.
On the East side of the Entrance Hall are two double doors leading to the Cantina (Old Winery). This room was in a terrible state, but it has been beautifully restored taking trouble to preserve its history. There’s an old stone vat for treading grapes, a water chute, a stone sink and a charming rustic kitchen.
Leaving the Entrance Hall through the opposite door we enter the main living quarters. The rooms downstairs have a slightly rustic feel so the design theme here is light and playful.
We can now go up the marble staircase to the first floor. It’s a brighter, airer space, but at the same time it feels more formal (a bit posher!) The design idea here has been to conserve and re-cycle the traditional materials as much as possible, but interweave with modern materials to create a fresh, clean look.
Dining Room Table
The dining room table was designed to fit the room and the surface was machined from a solid piece of local marble. It’s rather heavy and we had to employ a specialist removal firm to get it into the building. It took six strong men to lift it into place.
A few details…
Most of the rooms on the first floor have vaulted ceilings known as contrasoffitti. These are traditional Sicilian false ceilings used in important buildings as a form of decoration, but also to provide additional insulation in the hot summer months. Sometimes they were decorated with frescoes, sometimes not.
Often the contrasoffitti produce fascinating light effects. The one on the dining room is particularly enchanting. It seems to be reflecting the light from the sea - which is why it’s painted blue.
In the living room we had to take down the vaulted ceiling and decided not to replace it, leaving the beams of the reconditioned roof exposed. The effect is equally stunning!
Ceilings
Lighting
Where possible we have re-conditioned and re-used the original light fittings. These are in the liberty (art deco) style in vogue at the time the Villa was built. They were originally oil lamps and only subsequently converted to electricity.
Maiolica Tiles
Most of the floors in the Villa feature designs in traditional hand painted maiolica tiles. The tiles in the Villa are the original tiles which have all been carefully removed, cleaned and recycled during the restoration, a painstaking process. But absolutely worthwhile as they embody the spirit of the building.
