Villa Palermo Villas Cefalù Description Casa dell'Acqua

the swimming pool set in the countryside

View from the terrace of the house

Surrounding countryside

Drive

other view of the swimming pool

breakfast alfresco

Welcome point in the old water house

Water storage tanks

Living room

The living room seen from the kitchen

Bedroom with a double bed

Another bedroom with a double bed

Blue bathroom with shower

Single bedroom in the turret

Green bathroom with shower

Main entrance and staircase

American-style kitchen

The house with a turret

Detail of the garden

Another view of the exterior of the house

the 5x10 mt swimming-pool

A corner of the garden

one of the corners in the garden

Sicilian maiolica with carved house logo

Sicily, land beaten by the sun and by the hot Scirocco wind, a wild and rugged place that is nevertheless generous to those who love and respect it, a fact well known to the locals who needed to assuage its thirst in the hot, dry summers of the last century in order to cultivate their crops. A well-known local baron constructed this property over a natural spring which brought water to the surface as if it were oil and through an ingenious system of pipes transported it to the terrace of the property from which it flowed down to the surrounding valleys and irrigated the parched land. Through this system which is the only example of its kind in Sicily the baron became richer and even more important. Today this old and rare construction has been transformed into an elegant residence with such a unique fascination that it is difficult to describe in words. Anyone who enters the apartment which still houses the well and the ingenious system of pipes will appreciate the creativity and intelligence of the man who came up with the idea and made it work. This is a real piece of Sicilian rural history available to those who wish to experience it at first hand!

The property is surrounded by a threshing floor made from cobbled stone which overlooks approximately sixty hectares of land owned by the family. There is an orange grove on one side of the house and the rest of the land is cultivated with vegetables right up to the hill which is planted with ancient olive trees. There is a beautiful 5x10 metre swimming pool in the garden. On the ground floor of the house there is an elegant open-plan area which is light and spacious and comprises a living area with armchairs and a double sofa bed, a plasma television set, a dining table and an American-style kitchen. Two bedrooms each with a double bed and en-suite bathroom with shower are accessible from the living room via a corridor. A further bathroom with shower is located near to the living room. A stone staircase opposite the entrance hall leads to a small mezzanine floor with a single bed and, continuing up the staircase, one arrives at the large terrace with beautiful sea views. Outside there is a small building which houses a barbecue, a washing machine and a second refrigerator. There are numerous shady spots to be found in the garden which makes an ideal location in which to relax and experience the real atmosphere of the Sicilian countryside.

The house is located only two kilometres from the Buonfornello exit of the motorway in the area of Collesano, a short distance from Cefalù and the Madonie nature reserve. It is an ideal location from which to explore the northern part of the island, being almost equidistant between Palermo, Catania and Messina and only three and a half kilometres from the beach of Gorgo Lungo and Salinelle. An ideal spot for those who are looking for a peaceful oasis in the countryside as a base for their beach holiday. Although the property is located close to the motorway, the sound of traffic cannot be heard from the house.
A few kilometres from the house is the archaeological area of Imera (Himera). As well as preserving the ruins of a temple, Himera also houses the largest pre-Roman necropolis in Europe. Not far from this archaeological area is also a fascinating museum.

The owners are extremely friendly and they receive guests from all over the world in their country house. For the owners it is a real pleasure to host foreign guests and have an opportunity to show them the real Sicily - they sometimes even cook local Sicilian specialities for their guests. Immediate necessities such as water, soap an toilet paper are available at the house upon arrival.