Donnalucata
This former farmhouse in the Sicilian countryside has been carefully restored and renovated to accommodate a large group of family and friends
Donnalucata is a large and handsome villa in the bottom right corner of Sicily, just 8km from the beautiful baroque town of Modica.
Surrounded by a big walled garden with a pool and a vegetable patch, the four-year renovation to turn a farmhouse and its outbuildings into an eight-bedroom property that can accommodate up to 24 guests was completed in 2021.
The main building houses a living room and a well-equipped kitchen that opens onto the dining room. There are five double bedrooms, one with a double sofa bed and each with their own bathroom. There is also a cellar with a tasting room so that guests can try the celebrated local wines.
Three more suites are in a separate building, each with a mezzanine and an en-suite bathroom. The rooms are big enough for two of them to have an extra single bed and for seating areas as well. The simple neutral tones of the decoration are sophisticated while the beds are large and comfortable.
Meanwhile, an old stable has been turned into a second kitchen and dining room with a long wooden table running lengthways down the cobbled floor while the original stone manger has been kept along one wall. A large door leads outside to the veranda and barbecue.
There is space, comfort and privacy in abundance and while guests could happily never leave this impressive property, there are many wonderful places nearby that are worthy of exploration. The towns of Noto, Scicli and Ragusa Ibla join Modica in their baroque splendour and the coast isn’t far. The Vendicari Nature Reserve near Noto is extraordinarily beautiful but then, that’s this corner of Sicily for you, and Donnalucata is a fabulous place to base yourselves.
