Casa Maria – Pollina

€ 55.000

Pollina - 90010 - Piazza San Giuliano

#86787316

5 Rooms
2 Bathroom
67 m²
2nd

Two-Bedroom House in Pollina, on a beautiful Piazza with Car Access and Mountain Views Across the Madonie Park

A three-storey terraced home in the picturesque Madonie Park village of Pollina, Casa Maria is a two-bedroom property with lovely old bones but in good condition. On the edge of the old town of this quaint Medieval settlement, it faces directly onto the piazza in front of the Chiesa di San Giuliano. It has been renovated, is structurally sound and while there are tweaks that could be made to improve it, immediately inhabitable.

A big advantage, especially compared to other town hoses in the hilltop villages of the Madonie, is the convenient car access afforded by this piazza position. Anyone who has explored Sicily’s medieval old towns will know that many homes are reached only through narrow alleyways, which can create problems for accessibility that affect everything from bringing the shopping home to any future renovation work.

With windows to the east and north, the upper floors are especially bright and open. On clear days the view stretches as far as the smouldering summit of Mount Etna on the eastern horizon. Considering its relatively compact floor plan, the sense of space and light is a pleasant surprise.

For anyone drawn to traditional Sicilian village life without having to step fully back in time, this well-presented two-bedroom house in Pollina is well worth a closer look.

The Property

The living space is distributed across three levels, connected by a marble staircase. The ground floor, originally a garage, has been converted into a single guest bedroom (which could be a double with bunk beds) a bathroom and a storage area. The bathroom at this level is actually the main one in the property and fitted with a bathtub, bidet and washbasin. There is a little evidence of rising damp here, which is common in many buildings of this age and construction in the region, but nothing that presents a serious concern. The layout on this floor includes some walls which could be removed, if you want to reconfigure the spaces and improve the flow.

On the first floor is the main bedroom, approximately 14m2 with a small balcony which overlooks the piazza and church. This is the heart of the house’s connection to the village, with a view directly onto the life of the square. It's a lovely, quietly inspiring place to wake up in the morning.

The top floor is where you're likely to spend most of your time, especially in the day. A working kitchen is already in place, with hob and oven, and this leads into a large L-shaped room which serves as the main living space. It is bright and airy, with two openings: a balcony to the east and a window to the north. The dual aspect gives excellent natural light throughout the day. Also on this floor, up a few steps, is a small service bathroom with WC, bidet and a compact 20-litre electric water heater.

The windows and shutters throughout are a mix of solid wood frames and aluminium elements, with aluminium external shutters. Internal doors are in solid wood. Together with the well-maintained plasterwork, they reflect the quality of the 1990s renovation and give the house a dignified, solid feel.

The electrical system dates from the renovation and is functional, with a distribution board on the lower floor and some separate circuits. The meter has been replaced and the supply is live. There is no heating system installed, but there is a connection to the mains gas infrastructure (metano) on the street outside, meaning that you could add this very simply if you wanted to keep things extra cosy in the winter months.

Surroundings

Pollina sits at the eastern end of the Madonie Natural Park, 700 metres above sea level, commanding views over a wide stretch of Sicily’s north coast. The village grew up around an eleventh-century Norman castle and retains much of its medieval character, with cobbled streets, stone facades and a rhythm of life shaped by agriculture, ceramics and food production. A growing community of international residents, mainly from northern Europe, has settled here in recent years, drawn by the village’s character and affordability.

Casa Maria’s position on the piazza in front of the Chiesa di San Giuliano places it right in the middle of village life, with local shops and bars within easy walking distance. Pollina also benefits from a fibre-optic internet connection, a detail that makes it particularly suitable for remote working.

A feature that makes this one really stand out from many other beautiful villages in the natural park is the beautiful stone amphitheatre which has been built on the western edge of town, hosting a fascinating programme of performances throughout the summers, against a breathtaking natural backdrop.

Down at sea level, the more modern part of the municipality, known as Finale di Pollina, is about a ten-minute drive away. Here you will find larger shops, restaurants and a beach with a recently improved seafront. The atmospheric medieval streets and sandy beach of Cefalù, with its UNESCO-listed Norman Cathedral, are around half an hour along the coast. Cefalù also has a hospital, secondary schools and the full infrastructure of a medium-sized town.

The nearest international airport is in Sicily's bustling capital city of Palermo, about ninety minutes to the west by car.

Potential

Casa Maria is perfect for a buyer who wants a two-bedroom house in Pollina that can be lived in from day one. Indeed, this is relatively rare in the area, and even more so at this price point. Compared to the €1 house schemes that have attracted so much attention in recent years, while it will obviously cost more up front, the limited amount of work required means the total expenditure is likely to be similar – probably even less. You will also have far more autonomy over the process, a clearer timeline and none of the obligations that typically accompany such promotional sales.

The main investment to plan for is the facade, which needs redoing. A reasonable estimate for this work is around €10,000, depending on the finish chosen. On the roof, a partially blocked drainage channel has caused a minor infiltration; this is a straightforward maintenance job. Installing split-system air conditioning units across the three floors would address both heating and cooling without major building work, and the availability of mains gas at the building opens the door to a more traditional heating system in due course.

The ground floor used to be a garage, and a conversion of requires a permit (sanatoria) to make it fully compliant with building regulations. The application for this has already been made to the local authorities, and on completion, a certificate of lawful status (stato legittimo) will be issued. This will ensure the buyer a fully documented and formally compliant property.

If you would like support in managing any of this work, our team has extensive experience overseeing renovation projects in the Madonie and across Sicily. Many of our clients have trusted us with similar commissions and found the assistance has given them tremendous security and great results.