THE SECRET GARDEN

There is a need for greenery for the human species, for oases capable of providing an intimate well-being.

Villa Tasca is an anthropocentric place, everything has been designed to make man feel at the center from whatever perspective or point he finds himself, both inside and outside. A walk through these spaces with the hosts is the way to get to know what is one of the most emblematic gardens of Sicilian Romanticism as rethought by Count Lucio Tasca.

Among sinuous and welcoming forms and surrounded by subtropical vegetation, a walk through the garden is not only a historical, botanical and architectural journey, but also one that stimulates the senses and thought. Each external and internal space is rich in details that make history and return the story of a family home protected and preserved for generations.

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Our Luxury Custom Travel Designers have already successfully created itineraries of one of the most evocative places in the world. You can book them in their standard form or take inspiration for your personalized trip.

Life is a journey and those who travel live twice. Omar Khayyam.

fisherman

CASTING THE NETS

There are professions that become forms of life, bonds that are built and become indissoluble.

The relationship with the sea lasts a lifetime, it is not consumed. Using their hands and body they cast the nets while the sun does not stop tanning their skin, then they wait. This profession comes with waiting, the sound and the scent of the sea as well as skills and intangible knowledge that can only be learned by listening.

It requires experience, seen in the proud eyes that alone tell the love for the sea, for fishing. Finally it requires passion, obtained by getting on this boat, observing the gestures that are repeated every day while the fisherman waits for the sea to bear its fruit.

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Life is a journey and those who travel live twice. Omar Khayyam.

SLOW TIME

To be part of the small community of Sant’Angelo Muxaro is to live an unforgettable human and relational experience.

There are countries where time flows slowly, where we must stop and listen to understand its richness. Relationships arise spontaneously as well as conversations that reveal the life of a community and its daily routines.

Sant’Angelo Muxaro, a small village on the Sicilian mountains in a rugged and picturesque area, is famous for the monumental tombs dug into the sides of the hill on which stands the town. From the central square of the village through the alleys and courtyards you can become acquainted with the life of this small village and be part of this family. Signora Maria, an English speaker, kneads and sells bread to the small community every day and between one chat and another reveals the secrets of this bakery and the ancient art of bread making. Entering the homes instead means getting to know the traditions, such as foraging, the art of knowing how to recognize and pick edible spontaneous herbs that grow in nature, or the culinary heritage made up of simple and genuine dishes. A visit to Sant’Angelo Muxaro is an experience in which history, archaeology and adventure embrace the relational and above all the human dimension.

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Life is a journey and those who travel live twice. Omar Khayyam.

THE VALLEY

THE THOUSAND STORIES OF THE VALLEY

There are places that have marked and built the image of Sicily, mythical areas that never cease to arouse interest.

Those same places contain within them a knowledge that can be told starting from different viewpoints making them special, unique in their own way. From an early age, Lorenzo strolling in the Via dei Templi, listened to stories of oral tradition, collecting knowledge about the valley that he shares daily with those who decide to spend time with him.

The viewpoints multiply and the ensemble of historical and archaeological knowledge is but one of the many chapters of this walk that never ceases to surprise and ends in the shade, in the Kolymbethra garden. In this corner, the experience of history merges with nature with ancient olive trees and the scent of citrus fruits.

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Life is a journey and those who travel live twice. Omar Khayyam.

kòsmèsis

orange blossom and rose petals

Flowers and plants are sources with infinite properties.

In this estate which is also a laboratory, the pharmacist puts his knowledge into practice, blends essences and dedicates himself to natural cosmetics. Entering this place provides an opportunity to learn about a medical art that derives from ancient remedies and which today, continues to improve.

A flourishing countryside surrounds the old mansion where medicinal plants paths and fruit trees lead you to a refreshing natural pool and a ‘gebbia’: an old tub – once used for gathering rainwater – now is a pleasing pool for aromatic bath with orange blossom, lavender, rosemary, rose’s petals. These essences capture your senses and mind releasing wonderful sensations. Every drop of our organic cosmetics (created by expert pharmacists) concentrates all the active ingredients of the estate’s plants from ‘orto dei semplici’ (garden of simples) and the organic plantations of fruit trees. Particular attention is dedicated to ancient remedies inspired by ‘kòsmèsis’: the precious knowledge of the Ancient Greece. Tradition and innovation for the beauty of your body and the balance of your soul.

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Life is a journey and those who travel live twice. Omar Khayyam.

SHAMAN

the wisdom of plants

From each plant it is possible to obtain a story, search for its spirit and thoroughly investigate its properties.

Among the Sicani mountains there is a man who took refuge in a wooden house and made it a place where to enjoy his passions: plants, flowers, medicinal herbs, writing and art. The spaces we create speak of us, reflect our world. Aldo in his home has many stories to tell:

fantasy stories written in volumes which he shows to those who are curious enough to sit and listen, as well as stories about his commitment to the environment but above all, those that show his love of plants. A walk in the garden is an opportunity to get to know aromatic and medicinal plants and taste some flowers used to prepare special recipes. The scents of rosemary, mint, thyme, wild fennel, calamint, sage lead into the magic circle; an outdoor sculpture park created by Aldo over the years. As in a Tolkien story, you enter a magical world accompanied by the wisdom of a man who has dedicated his life to his passion for plants.

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Life is a journey and those who travel live twice. Omar Khayyam.

ETNA VIEW

DAWN OF THE VOLCANO

The landscape from that height seems to unfold like a map.

Etna is a privileged observatory, a lens that allows you to read the geography of the island. The nuances of the landscape change beginning with the viewpoints, the changes in light and the direction you choose to go. A sunrise jeep crossing, on the north side of Etna, up to an altitude of 1900 meters is an experience for anyone who goes in search of breathtaking landscapes.

As in a movie sequence, views appear of unparalleled panoramas, centennial forests and lava fields.The journey features continuous discoveries: the diversity of vegetation that changes according to the height, the volcanic craters, the lava flow caves, the eruptions that have taken place throughout history, from the oldest to the most recent.

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Life is a journey and those who travel live twice. Omar Khayyam.

Shepherd

THE SHEPHERD’S EYES

There are professions and traditions that are handed down from father to son and remain unchanged.

Some jobs as a tradition from the past to present remain unchanged and are handed down like prized possessions. These are trades but also lifestyles that take shape in that inland Sicily, which is fascinating and still unknown. For six generations, the profession of shepherd has been handed down from father to son. It is a job made up of gestures that are repeated on a regular basis and that begin at dawn.

“ There are professions and traditions that are handed down from father to son and remain unchanged. ”

To characterize the soundscape of this place are whistles, the whispered calls and the Sicilian dialect; a magical and incomprehensible language. An experience that is above all a meeting with an ancient craft, which is still practiced according to tradition. From the pastures, the work shifts to the small dairy where cheese is produced; an art that requires skilled hands, skill and dedication.

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Life is a journey and those who travel live twice. Omar Khayyam.

Salt Crystals

salt crystals

A landscape that changes, transforms and never ceases to surprise.

The salt pans are the extreme border between sea and land and the mills are the signs that identify this part of Sicily. A system of elementary grids with a chromatic framework that goes from blue to blue, from green to pink and which varies according to the salt concentrations.

In this journey, salt becomes the character, with its history, its benefits, its properties. From the Marsala salt works to the long island is a short hop and once you’ve got round to assessing the environment there’s the sound of crickets buzzing and the intense scent of coastal/sea pines. You will always carry the salt crystals with you, like the intense color of this landscape.

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Life is a journey and those who travel live twice. Omar Khayyam.