Property Description

Beautiful Liberty Architecture and Private Swimming Pool in this Five-bedroom Villa by the Beach in Mondello

Since the start of the twentieth century, Mondello has been the go-to beach district for the rich and famous of Palermo. The Liberty era saw a boom in construction for characterful detached homes, and while the town has grown significantly since then, those old ornate properties have largely remained in their original families over the generations. This makes Villa Due Mari a truly rare opportunity; a chance to buy not only bricks and mortar but a piece of Sicilian social and cultural history.

Standing less than three hundred metres from the beach on the most significant avenue that runs through Mondello, the villa by the beach is perfectly located for prestige as well as convenience. You will be able to stroll down to the golden sands and glassy warm waters of the long, sheltered bay every day, and if you ever prefer to avoid the crowds, you can cool off in the beautiful private swimming pool at the end of the enclosed back garden.

With five bedrooms and five bathrooms, it is big enough to host any size of family. Indeed, it would be hard to think of a more exciting prospect for younger generations than to spend long, unforgettable summers here. With 400m2 of gardens, including a wonderful shady portico overlooking the large lawn, there is certainly space for children to run around and explore for many long happy days.

Fully renovated and sold exactly as seen with all fixtures and furnishings, Villa Due Mari is compliant with all building and public records regulations. For the lucky buyer it will bring membership into one of Sicily’s most prized and exclusive clubs, the privileged owners of landmark real estate by the island’s favourite seafront.

The Property

The traditional masonry structure was built to last, is incredibly sturdy and in great shape. Windows on all sides and ceilings over three metres allow light and air to travel freely around the interiors and maximise the sense of space. The exteriors are designed in that unmistakable Liberty style which was so popular in the region 120 years ago but is sadly hard to find after the illegitimate construction boom, known as the ‘sack of Palermo’, in the 1960s.

An automatic gate leads you from the street to an off-road parking space and then to the front porch. This extends almost the entire width of the home and has been finished, like all the floors here, in a decorative tile pattern which gives the villa enormous character.

The front door brings you directly into a long living room with an open fireplace on your left. This partially divided space has a natural dining area at the rear. A back door lies beyond this and brings you to the garden through the portico.

Also on the ground floor are the primary kitchen, modern and beautifully fitted in a galley style with a little breakfast bar by the window, and an ample family bathroom with a box shower.

A wide marble staircase wraps around a really luxurious touch; the glass-fronted elevator which helps to make the property very accessible. This leads you to a landing off which you can reach all of the bedrooms and bathrooms directly. In total this first floor is 115m2 in size, allowing for rooms that are very spacious and perfectly able to hold wardrobes and other storage if you plan to live here all year round.

Two of the bedrooms have garden-view balconies and there is an additional corner terrace overlooking the avenue outside. The two largest face east, giving you golden sunshine in the mornings, although of course the wooden shutters offer a complete blackout if you want to enjoy a longer rest.

The bathrooms are of high quality, with several preserved in a stylish 1960s décor, still in excellent condition. Two others have been renovated in a more modern style.

The top floor is essentially a self-contained apartment, and would be idea for a housekeeper or property guardian. A converted loft with sloping ceilings, Velux windows and the wooden roof timbers on display, it has a living room with a kitchenette and dining area as well as a bedroom and an en-suite bathroom.

The portico outside is lofty and elegant, with a floor in local marble and neat columns. You’ll find all the furniture you need to relax and enjoy family meals out here. The garden is simple but roomy, with an impressive lawn, dwarf palms and a lovely old olive tree next to the pool. This is a treasure – roughly 3 x 7m, with a cover and filtration system. You don’t find many of these, even in the historic part of Mondello.

The main villa is insulated by an external cladding which is invaluable to keep the temperatures down in summer. You will also find modern air conditioning units in all rooms, capable of heating as well as cooling the space in case you’re here in the short Sicilian winters.

Surroundings

As you’ll hopefully have gathered, this is a really special location, directly on the main avenue of Mondello with beautiful authentic villas in the same style all along the road. The sea is just a stone’s throw away, as are a plethora of different bars and restaurants which remain open all year round. The beach clubs which appear and disappear with the high season bring energy and convenience to the two kilometre strip of white sand, and the town’s ornate art nouveau pier is home to a high class restaurant in its own right.

The nearest convenience store is only five or six minutes away, and there are bigger supermarkets, a pharmacy and the Conca d’Oro shopping centre within a short driving radius.

You can read our in-depth guide to Palermo for a look at everything Italy’s fifth-largest city has to offer, but whether you’re more tempted by the acoustically-perfect opera house, the world-class boutiques of Via della Libertà, the dazzling new marina or the eponymous football team – purchased in 2022 by the Abu Dhabi-backed City Group – there is something for everyone. An iconic food scene covers everything from legendary street food to Michelin-starred restaurants.  The centre of town is only fifteen minutes away and there are many public transport options if you don’t want to worry about finding a parking spot.

Falcone-Borsellino international airport is just 20 minutes away, making Villa Due Mari an easy sell to guests who will be queuing up to visit. As well as daily flights all over Europe there are even direct routes to the Eastern US.

Potential

The villa by the beach is in perfect condition, with new windows and fittings in the bathrooms and kitchens. The windows are double-glazed and efficient, so there is no need for urgent investment.

To really make the most out of this lovely home, we might consider opening up the kitchen from the living room for a more modern and fluid ground floor and to give yourself more space in which to cook.

We would also think about enclosing the portico at the back of the home with glass. That would give you an incredible solarium, where you could cultivate a winter garden and bring the huge 55m2 space into play all year round.

Depending on what kind of vehicle you’ll be driving in Sicily, you might want to widen the entrance gate a bit to make sure you don’t miss out on the benefits of off-street parking in a neighbourhood where this is almost priceless.

If you need any help managing either redecoration and changes to the property or your move to Mondello, remember that we offer top class project management as well as our ever-popular Welcome to Sicily relocation concierge service.