Property Description

Detached Four-Bedroom Family Villa with Orchard in Sicily’s Traditional Heartland; Recently Renovated and in Great Condition

Casa Rosa Maria is a detached house set in 5,000m2 of gardens, much of which is citrus orchard and olive grove. Originally a two-bedroom cottage, a loft conversion has created two more bedrooms and a second bathroom, and in total there is now over 150m2 of floor space.

It stands on the edge of the lovely village of Scillato in the western foothills of the Madonie Natural Park. The location, 250m above sea level and just 15km inland, offers an ideal mix of rustic isolation and convenient transport links.

Renovated around a decade ago, this lovely villa with orchard in Sicily is presented in beautiful condition and is full of character. The exposed stonework not only gives house an authentic traditional feel in keeping with it’s Sicilian identity, it also protects against damp. Bright and airy, it offers complete quiet inside and out, save from the morning chorus of birds and the chirp of the cicadas in the evening.

The Property

A flight of stone steps up from street level brings you up into the front garden where you will find the house, set about 15 metres back from the roadside. A stone wall and thick hedge give the space privacy and sound insulation – not that much is needed from the quiet Via Piersanti Mattarella.

You enter directly into a living room, with fireplace in one corner and a garden-view window facing south-west. A wide archway opens up to the staircase, and a separate corridor leads to the roomy master bedroom and a guest room which is currently used as a study. Each is about 16m2, and overlooks the terrace outside to the south-east. Opposite the pair of bedrooms is a bathroom with a fabulous feature wall in exposed stone, a box shower and modern ceramics.

At the end of the passageway is the kitchen, with direct access to the garden, and through this is a large connecting utility room with plumbing for a washing machine and more than enough space to serve as a walk-in larder. The kitchen has a double sink, marble worktop and a backsplash in simple white tile. There is space for a small breakfast table and free-standing oven, and a dresser has been built into the wall next to the back door.

There is a little storage room under the staircase, and a reading nook under the window at its foot. Heading up you will come to a tiny landing under the tallest part of the sloping roof. From here you can pass into two more guest bedrooms in the loft conversion. This investment is, in practice, what has allowed the current owners to create the study in the downstairs bedroom – four bedrooms would be possible but three feels like a more comfortable compromise.

The conversion has been extremely well realised, with unpainted wooden beams supporting the white cross-timbers of the ceilings and a parquet-style floor. There is 80m2 of space up here, although you should note that it’s not possible to stand up in quite a lot of this. It’s a nice option to have for hosting visitors, though – there’s even a guest bathroom.

Outside, a patio runs right around the property and then the large leafy garden plays out to the north. It’s in excellent condition with well-tended trees, and a fully functioning irrigation system. Back in the immediate area of the house, you and your visitors will love the fixed barbecue, and there’s certainly more than enough space to dine al fresco together though the long hot Mediterranean summer.

Drinking water comes from the Scillato spring, well-known in Sicily for its excellent purity. The house is connected to mains networks for electricity, water and sewage. Whether you plan to work from home or just stay in touch with friends here, you’ll be pleased to know that the internet connection is very fast and reliable.

Surroundings

Scillato is a quaint little village found 250m above sea level at the foot of the Madonie Park. Home to about 600 inhabitants, it nonetheless offers everything you need for day-to-day life. Almost directly opposite Casa Rosa is the town hall, next to which is the small village school. Half a dozen houses past this you come to a popular local bar where locals love to meet over a coffee and a pastry in the mornings.

A health centre and the police station are just up the road in the other direction. There’s a little grocery store, a bakery and a butcher’s shop, and needless to say, everything is within a few minutes’ walk of your front door. If you want to go out in the evenings you’ll find a pub and a pizzeria.

A few kilometres up into the hills are the picturesque villages of Collesano, Petralia and Sclafani Bagni. If you want to get to the beach, the nearest sandy seafront is at only 15 minutes downhill at Campofelice di Roccella, and the iconic promenade and Norman old town of Cefalù is only a half hour drive away.

The location is excellent in every way. Aside from the quiet charm of the small community, don’t underestimate the value of the cool breeze that comes in from the sea to the north keeps the home airy and comfortable, even in midsummer. Then when you need to get around, the transport links are a fantastic bonus.

The A19 motorway which connects Sicily’s two largest and most important cities, Palermo and Catania, runs right past the village. This is invaluable, as it really cuts travel time to all parts of the island. You can get to Palermo in under an hour and Catania in 90 minutes – this is practically the only spot on the island from which that can be said. The central Sicilian cities of Enna and Caltanisetta are under an hour away, and the great temples of Agrigento only 70 minutes.

Potential

Structurally, this villa with orchard in Sicily’s hills is in excellent condition, with only a few minor cracks that are completely typical for properties of this age in the area. You may want to do a little work on the plaster, where there are a couple of minor damp patches, but our survey found nothing of concern. If you would like a second opinion we can of course help you find a qualified and impartial local professional.

The only obvious area for further investment would be the absence of any heating or air conditioning. At the moment the only temperature control is provided by the open fireplace in the living room. For under €1,000 apiece you can install first class heat pump air conditioning systems which could kill two birds with one stone.

If you have any other questions about the condition or potential of this lovely family home, or the process of buying real estate in Sicily, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly multilingual team.