Tenuta della Cava - Four Bedroom Villa, Sleeps 8

At Tenuta della Cava, classic Sicilian architecture meets modern living, and contemporary interior design embraces artisan craftsmanship.

Sitting just outside the baroque town of Rosolini, Tenuta della Cava is a veritable oasis of tranquillity and sensory pleasures. Enclosed in a shady, mature walled garden with pool, its voluminous interiors are imbued with sense of understated opulence, while the fabulous spa with Jacuzzi, hammam and sauna has been designed to offer guests a truly pampering experience.

Inside: Tenuta della Cava is a venerable old country house that has recently undergone a conservatory restoration. The fabric of the building has been meticulously brought back to its original state, allowing the many characterful architectural features to take centre stage: wide arches allow an organic flow between spaces, groin vaulted ceilings add a pleasing geometrical complexity, exposed stone walls bring a creamy-honeyed warmth, and recuperated antique Sicilian cement and maiolica tiles provide a muted vivacity to bedroom walls and bathroom borders.

To these original elements, the architects have added a careful selection of more contemporary features, including smooth, sandy-coloured concrete floors, fittings, fixtures and design elements in weathering steel, a mix of industrial and contemporary lighting, and a host of luxurious bespoke furniture crafted by local artisans.

Accommodation at Tenuta della Cava is spread over two floors, with the upper floor accessed via an external staircase.

On the ground floor, the main entrance takes one into an impressive hallway with sloping wood-beamed ceilings, a central wall of exposed stone, and two lateral walls decorated in wallpaper depicting a mature garden of Sicilian flora and birdlife.

A door to the right of the hallway leads into the first of the two ground floor bedrooms, a double-twin with a ceramic-tiled headboard, an en-suite shower room, and access to the surrounding gardens.

Back in the hallway, a central door take one into a beautiful sitting room, whose sloping wood-beamed ceilings are an extension of those in the entrance. The two-tone walls (green below, white above) provide the perfect backdrop for a pair of daybed sofas upholstered in lustrous golden fabric. Behind them, a wall of aureate antique tiles adds to the sense of opulence. This space flows out through one door onto a covered courtyard (of which more later), and through another into the second ground floor bedroom, a generously proportioned double with study area, en-suite shower room and garden access.

Back in the hallway, a door to the left leads into a double-sized, communal space, which features curvaceous vaulted ceilings and exposed stone walls. Furnished with a pair of white metal tables topped with antique cement tiles, a sofa and a pair of armchairs enveloped in grey linen, this space has a warmly welcoming, intimate atmosphere.

At the far end of living area is the homely country kitchen, with its light green cabinetry, large marble-topped island, and range cooker. To one side, a door opens out into the gardens, while to the other is a glass-roofed courtyard that’s conveniently been transformed home into a dining area. Taking pride of place in the centre is a bespoke weathering steel table whose tiled surface features more hues of green than a peacock could hope for. Exposed creamy stone walls continue the theme of the other rooms, while a wall of sliding glass doors allows easy access to the gardens.

A couple of steps lead up past a sofa to another of Tenuta della Cava’s many wonderful surprises: a fabulous wellness area with plunge pool Jacuzzi, sauna, Turkish bath, massage area and WC. A sliding glass ceiling above the pool, and a pair of sliding glass walls on two sides of this space allow guests to choose whether to be inside or al fresco.

The remaining accommodation is found on the first floor, which, as already mentioned, is accessed via an external staircase to one side of the property. Here there is a central atrium with an impressively lofty ceiling, grey-tiled floor and a richly papered feature wall echoing the entrance hall below. On either side is a bedroom: to the right is a superbly spacious double with in-room shower, an en-suite WC, and a panoramic balcony; to the left is a double-twin en-suite shower room.

Outside: Tenuta della Cava sits at the centre of a 106-acre estate and is immersed in a mature walled garden that encloses the house in a cocoon of privacy and tranquillity.

At the front, a gate set in an impressive stone wall leads from the parking area into a formal Italian courtyard garden, signalling to guests that the property is of noble origins. A stone walkway leads to the main entrance, flanked on either side by pedestal columns and a pair of giant evergreens, and saluted by an exotic, high-flying exotic palm tree.

Paths and terraces lead round both sides of the house, passing under shady trees and sculptural prickly pears, to where guests will spend most of their outdoor time. On one side, conveniently close to the kitchen, is a decked and shaded al fresco dining area served by a barbecue, a couple of hobs and a sink. In-keeping with many of the fittings and fixtures inside the house, the frames of both the ceramic-tiled table and the cane-covered pergola have been crafted out of weathering steel.

From here it’s just a hop to a large expanse of manicured lawn, accessed directly from the indoor-outdoor wellness area. Mature trees provide shade and flowering borders add a splash of colour, providing the ideal backdrop for an area of raised decking and the tempting pool. After a couple of days in this hushed oasis, you might find you have little inclination to explore your surroundings.

Due to the nature of the property including terraces low walls and several drops around the grounds, children must be supervised at all times.

Please note that there is no real shallow end in the pool, whose minimum depth is over 1.4m.
Located just outside the baroque town of Rosolini at the head of one of the deep gorges that bury deep into the Iblei Mountains, Tenuta della Cava sits at the centre of a 105-acre farm of olive, carob and almond trees. Guests are welcome to explore the estate, which is home to numerous archaeological treasures, including the rupestrian hermitage and churches of Croce Santa.

Rosolini, like most of the towns in southeast Sicily was rebuilt in pure baroque style after the earthquake of 1693. It is home to a good selection of shops, cafés, restaurants and other amenities and boasts a wonderful central piazza.

Nearby are the other towns of the Val di Noto UNESCO World Heritage Site, including Noto, Modica, Ragusa, Scicli, and Palazzolo Acreide (this latter with an impressive Greek archaeological site).

In terms of beaches, one can head east to San Lorenzo, Marzamemi and the beautiful natural reserve of Vendicari, or south to the sandy coastline around Pozzallo.

If hiking or mountain-biking is your thing, Tenuta della Cava is perfect, as trails lead straight off the estate up a deep gorge. Alternatively, there is some spectacular scenery in the neighbouring gorges of Cava d'Ispica, Cassibile and Pantalica.

Syracuse is just over half an hour's drive away, and a day there is highly recommended to anybody spending time at Tenuta della Cava.

Arrival details will be confirmed by The Thinking Traveller after your villa is confirmed.

The Thinking Traveller can organise transfers and car hire and an agent will be in touch with you once your villa is confirmed.