Property Description

Characterful and Welcoming Two-bedroom House in the Madonie Park, with Panoramic Roof Terrace and Traditional Tiled Interiors

Offering superb panoramic views over the lovely rustic village of Gratteri, Casa Viola is a two-bedroom terraced townhouse on four storeys. The top floor roof terrace is a standout attraction, the ideal spot for al-fresco dining or entertaining at any time of day.

With 95m2 of indoor space, including a living room and kitchen-diner as well as the two bedrooms and a pair of bathrooms, this is a cosy yet practical house which would make a great second home. The beautiful position of the house in the Madonie Natural Park means that it would be viable as a tourist rental when you can’t use it in person. Alternatively, if you want to change your life completely, this is a chance to make yourself a charming year-round home in a friendly village.

The beaches of the island’s north coast are just seven kilometres away, but up here in the hills, 700m above sea level, you can enjoy a cool breeze and some of the cleanest air to be found anywhere in Italy.

The Property

Casa Viola is found in a pedestrian alleyway which drops down off a bigger road. The cobbles underfoot and old houses are full of exactly the kind of character you hope to find in a medieval hilltop village. The slope is steep enough that some of the floors are below street level here, but above it on the lower side to the north.

A short flight of stairs brings you up to the front door, which brings you into the tiled hallway. While not a lot of natural light enters this passageway and stairwell, the pristine whitewash on the walls and arched ceilings make the most of the available space. The blue and white tile print is an example of the thriving ceramics industry of which the region is justly proud. It continues throughout the entire property, including the living room, kitchen and bathroom, which gives it a lovely unified aesthetic.

Around the corner, the living room is a cosy rectangle, leading towards a window with a little balcony that gives you a view over the terracotta rooftops of the town.

Underneath this on the first floor below street level is the first bedroom, a cosy square-shaped den with the wooden beams of the ceiling on display and a little built-in cupboard. A full-length window is enclosed by a Juliet balcony. A box shower and white ceramics are found in a small bathroom next door to it.

The stairs continue to bring you down to an even lower level, where there is another neat little bedroom, this time with the adjacent shower room en-suite. The blue and white tiles have been used with particular enthusiasm in the bathrooms, which are fully covered, floor to ceiling. This of course greatly helps protect the walls from the humidity of what are both fully internal rooms. Hot water for both comes from an electric boiler on the lowest floor.

At the top of the homely little property, the sunny terrace opens directly off the spacious kitchen-diner. This has been designed in the typical Sicilian style, with a marble worktop and a built-in brick oven in the centre of the room. There’s a miniature alcove for a more everyday oven next to the door and space for a fridge freezer. A bench seat has been created under the south-west-facing window.

The terrace is spacious and covered by an awning. It offers unbeatable views to the north, both over the highest part of the village to the right, and the hill where the ruins of the old castle stand on your left. You’re sure to enjoy all of your meals out here throughout many a long hot Sicilian summer.

The house is served by the local mains for water system and drainage, as well as the electricity grid. Gratteri has reliable fibre-optic internet that offers consistent high speeds and makes it a very attractive spot for remote working.

Surroundings

Casa Viola is found close to the edge of the village, just underneath the road which heads south towards Mongerati and Collesano. It’s a stone’s throw from all the amenities Gratteri has to offer, which include convenience stores, greengrocers, a pharmacy and some popular bars and restaurants. The ruined Castle Ventimiglia is just at the end of the road.

If you haven’t already, be sure to take a look at our in-depth guide to Gratteri, which we wrote some years ago when we identified it as one of the best-value real estate markets on the island. Indeed, we have sold well over a dozen different properties in what has now become a surprisingly international little corner of Sicily.

It’s located midway between the coast and the very centre of the Madonie Natural Park, with fantastic trekking and hiking trails all around. The fabulous villages which dot the landscape are rich in history and culture – especially the culinary tradition, which is the stuff of legend. In the winter the higher peaks are well above the snow line, and you can ski on the slopes of Piano Battaglia, less than an hour’s drive south.

At sea level, a more familiar side of Sicily can be found in abundance in the enchanting town of Cefalù, a half hour drive downhill. The nearest airport is 90 minutes away on the far side of Sicily’s biggest city, Palermo.

Potential

You won’t need to invest anything further in Casa Viola before you can use it, it’s currently inhabited as you see from our virtual tour and photography. When we took a close look we could see that there’s no pressing need for any major renovations, just a little routine maintenance.

Properties in such an old village obviously have tremendous great heritage, and as such it’s inevitable that some damp and cracking will occur over time. Attention to the plasterwork and paint every couple of years is something that you should budget for (not only in Casa Viola but any house in the Madonie of this kind). Otherwise, you’ll find the cottage-like home extremely welcoming and in excellent condition.

One thing you won’t find is air conditioning, partly because it is not strictly necessary as the house is located at a fairly high altitude. The current owners use it as a second home but visit in all seasons, and they report that the only thing they’ve ever needed has been a few portable electric heaters for the cooler periods.