A charming villa in a scenic Sicilian fishing village

OVERVIEW Casa Sampieri

Along the south-eastern coast of Sicily, and near the famous baroque towns of Noto, Ragusa and Syracuse lies the charming seaside village of Sampieri. Until a decade ago Sampieri was a small fishing village. Today there are still few stubborn fishermen, but the main economic activities have become agriculture and tourism. It’s a charming village inhabited by less than a thousand people and has featured in numerous movies as well as a popular Italian television series called Montalbano.

The village is interesting with well-maintained buildings and an attractive historic center which consists of a maze of paved streets that develop along the main promenade. This is where all the necessary conveniences are found including nice cafés, a bakery, a small supermarket and a drug store. It’s on this promenade, tucked away in a niche between other seafront buildings, that you’ll find the charming freestanding home called Casa Sampieri.

Discovered in 2021 by a Milanese architect and his Sicilian wife, restoring the derelict house soon became a labor of love. The home was full of typical features such as floors in locally made cementine as well as a local lava stone. The interiors recuperate this charming historic character, paired with designer furniture and local antiques.

The ground floor living room has a large sofa and wicker armchairs. For centuries the open square in front of the house has been used by residents as a place to sit and say hello to passing neighbors. You too can take advantage of this tradition as the living room armchairs are perfect to position outside to sit and enjoy an aperitif. It’s a wonderful way to meet the locals, all while taking in the view of the sea, which is directly in front of the home and only 40 meters away.

The large fully-equipped kitchen, with a dining table, opens onto a private airy courtyard on the back of the house, where an additional dining table is found. Between plants of bougainvillea, jasmine and rosemary is a sofa, hammock, and outdoor private shower making the space a type of oasis. there is a large dining room, seating 8-12 people, inside if by a slim chance the weather would not permit you to dine outside.

The house has 3 double or twin bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, 2 of which are ensuite and one in the corridor. A staircase in the kitchen leads you upstairs to a laundry area with washing machine, drying rack, iron, and ironing board.

Casa Sampieri is definitely off the beaten track and the village is still quaint and friendly. All in all, a stay in this location will allow you to feel part of the true Sicily, and most certainly leave you relaxed and delighted by its way of life.

The beach of Sampieri is one of the most beautiful in all of Sicily, with crystal clear waters and golden sand accompanied by a unique view of the Fornace Penna, a wonderful ruin of industrial archeology. The long beach extends two kilometers and is protected by a long series of dunes and a verdant pine forest. There are several beach establishments and a restaurant along the beach. Further past this beach is another more natural, secluded beach which is definitely worth the walk.

Amenities and services

Floorplan of the villa

Ground Floor

• Kitchen
• Courtyard
• Living room
• Dining room
• King or 2 twin beds with bathroom accross the hall (shower)
• 2 king with ensuite bathrooms (showers)

 

 

Attic

• Laundry

Garden :

There is a private walled courtyard with an outdoor dining table, seating and a hammock.

ESTATE: Scicli - Sicilia

ACTIVITIES

Sicily boasts five UNESCO World Heritage sites of cultural interest. The Baroque towns of Val di Noto, the Villa Romana del Casale, the Necropolis of Pantalica and of course Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples are a definite must-see

The eight Baroque towns of the Val di Noto epitomize the culmination and final bloom of Baroque art in Europe. They owe their reputation to the earthquake of 1693 that devasted this corner of Sicily. They were all slowly rebuilt, one by one in the following century, a time when baroque architecture was the style of the day. This beautiful area is also known for being the set of the TV series of Inspector Montalbano from the best-selling books by Sicilian author Andrea Camilleri. To name just a few:

• Scicli is a fascinating town and, after Noto, the one that most exemplified the architecture of the area. Baroque features of the towns may be easily recognised on its churches and palazzi. The best are seen by walking along the paved Via Francesco Mormina Penna to the Palazzo Beneventano with its grotesque masks and rich decorations.
• Modica. The main street runs along the bottom of a ravine on which the town has been built. This divides the town into two parts. On the older part of the city, lanes and alleyways lead to the high part of the town. The town’s two baroque churches stand out amidst these beautiful buildings . The Duomo San Giorgio is the home of one of Modica’s patron saints, celebrated each year on April 23 with a joyful parade around the streets of Modica culminating with fireworks, whilst further along the main road, a set of magnificent stairs leads you to another, the Duomo di San Pietro. In the evening, join the locals for a « passeggiata » along the main street, Corso Umberto, and stop at the chocolate shops for which Modica is famous. When chocolate was discovered in the new world it was first brought back to Modica, where it was made cold so that the sugar did not melt. Northern Europeans later added heat and milk to the process but the old technique is still used here. Once you get over the initial graininess the chocolate has a rich, lingering flavour. Try the bars of the Antica Dolceria Bonajuto
• Ragusa. With few cars, stone streets and views over the hillside, the town looks like a film set and often serves as one – many scenes from the Inspector Montalbano series. Ragusa is another city built over two hills. Ancient Ibla dates back to medieval times whilst the new Baroque Ragusa was built after 1693. The San Giorgio Duomo, the Circolo de Conversazione and the San Giuseppe Duomo are just a few of these beautiful baroque buildings that you will see as you walk from the Duomo to the magnificent Giardino Ibleo with its stunning views over the valley.
• Noto is perhaps the most complete baroque town in the area. The stone used in it’s grand baroque style buildings, a soft tufa stone, has a unique pink colour giving it a special glow under the sun. The decorative details on the facades and balconies that line the streets behind Corso Vittorio Emanuele exemplify Sicilian baroque architecture at its best. Curved balconies, complete with wrought iron decoration and held up by grinning masks, lion heads or putti. Once a year, the Infiorata di Noto ensures the street is covered in flowers but at any other time, take a walk up this street to see some of the beautiful features that exemplify baroque architecture. Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata with its grotesque balconies is a prefect example.

Syracuse is nearly 3,000 years old and during Ancient Greek times was one of the centres of the Mediterranean. The city was all but destroyed in 1693 by an earthquake that shook the bones of the whole island, but was rebuilt soon afterwards in glorious baroque style that remains mostly untouched. This is particularly the case on Ortigia, Syracuse’s old town set on a teardrop-shaped island connected to the mainland by a couple of road bridges. In the summer the place must sweat and heave: its tiny cobbled streets and perfect square are the kind that make postcard-sellers plan a new kitchen.

The Necropolis of Pantalica, near Syracuse, contains no less than 5,000 tombs dating from the 13th to the 7th centuries BC

Piazza Armerina is a charming town known for its Norman Palio, an annual summer pageant of medieval events, but the major attraction is its ancient Roman villa. Located a few kilometers outside town, the Villa Romana del Casale was built in the 4th century AC and is home to the richest, largest and most complex collection of Roman mosaics in the world. Depicting scenes from daily life, such as hunting, the mosaics are as remarkable for their sociological value as for their artistry.

And for visitors interested in Hellenic art and architecture, Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples are a definite must-see

Of course, the absolute must for any nature lover is a foray into the Etna Regional Park, one of the largest and most bewitching in Italy. The undisputed landmark of the island and one of the most active volcanoes in the world, Mount Etna has been since the Antiquity an object of awe and veneration, as well as the subject of countless myths and observations by Greeks, Celts and Romans. A guided tour of this majestic and legendary mountain – now a UNESCO World Heritage site – is undoubtedly one of the most exciting experiences you can have during your Sicilian holiday

RATES

GUEST REVIEWS, Casa Sampieri, Scicli - Sicilia

LOCATION

The “Casuzza” lies on a height overlooking the coast, not far from the villages Donnalucata and Marina di Modica, which are ideal for daily shopping.