Villa Pietra Bianca

THE HISTORY:
A former feudal estate, the Villa Pietra Bianca is located at the very end of the Ibleo plateau, looking out toward Mt. Etna, north of Siracusa, and at the centre of the white stone valley slowly excavated through the centuries by the San Calogero River. The lush fields in the valley bottom, rich in spring water, were at one time the only place fertile enough to nurture and cultivate abundant citrus groves. The estate remained a hunting reserve up to the seventies and still has one of the oldest and best known stud farms in Sicily. Its ancient and ample spaces have now been made available to all those who would follow in the footsteps of St. Calogero, known to have been here during the Byzantine era, to enjoy a sojourn of beauty, wellbeing and relaxation. The storehouses of the past have given way to an immense dining room, library and lounge with fireplace, looking out over the cool and shaded arches of the ancient stables.

What we offer
The guesthouse consists of twelve comfortable double rooms furnished with antique, all different in colors and curtains. In every room: satellite TV, minibar, air conditioning and safe. Of the twelve rooms, two also have a fireplace and two jacuzzi.
Even our kitchen is available on request. Our guests will be offered the best dishes of traditional Sicilian and Italian kitchen. Lunches and dinners will be served in the dining room in a magical atmosphere.
In summer, our guests can spend their days in the charming saltwater pool. In a pleasant poolside bar where light meals are served.
La Villa Pietra Bianca also offers its Wellness Center, where guests can enjoy a sauna, turkish bath and massage on request.
La Villa Pietra Bianca gives, also, to its guests:
The possibility of renting a car, and chauffeur.
Boat rentals.
Guided tours.

THE ABODE:
The homes of the farmers are now the “guest quarters”. Rooms furnished in vintage period pieces, each with a distinctive colour and décor, face the inner courtyard, as do the public rooms, also furnished with rare and valuable antiques so that our guests may savour the true atmosphere of an ancient Sicilian dwelling. San Calogero is a place where the only exception to silence is the gushing water of the fountains and the rustle of the wind among the leaves. All the surrounding area has become a flourishing garden.

HARMONY:
An intimate and inviting Spa faces a perfumed garden rich in aromatic plants, serving as passageway to the enchanting salt water pool, surrounded by a dry-stone wall. An oasis within an oasis!

ACTIVITIES:
A woodland of Mediterranean essences, fields rich in spring water, plateaus abounding in olive and citrus groves, verdant pastures. This is a place where you can communicate with nature: discover nature trails, enjoy archeological walks to discover the grottos and tombs of the X-IX century B.C.; taste extra virgin olive oil, citrus fruit jams and orange blossom honey that are still the principal products of the farm. All this is available to you on an area of 100 hectares, offering you an ideal location for team building activities and an exclusive site for special events.
The interior spaces are numerous and diverse in nature and dimensions: the medicinal garden adjacent to the pool is only one of many charming surprises provided to our guests: the suggestive main courtyard, the paths, the old stables and the interiors are only the prelude to the captivating Italian garden, bursting in colours and perfumes of the Mediterranean and beyond.
Located at the centre of an area rich in prestigious natural sites (Etna, Oasi di Vendicari...), archaeological ruins (Siracusa, Pantalica...), and architectural works of art (Ragusa Ibla, Noto, Modica...), the Villa Pietra Bianca enjoys a strategic position that allows you to visit all of eastern Sicily in one day. Between May and June, don’t miss the yearly appointment with the classical performances in the Greek Theatre of Siracusa. Also of increasing popularity, along with the better known Taormina Film Festival in June, is the International Frontier Film Festival (July) in Marzamemi, an ancient fishing village that has now become one of the newest not-to-be-missed spots in the area, with the largest and southernmost open-air hall in Europe, positioned within the tonnara, a tuna-net maze dating to the period of the Arab domination of Sicily and still perfectly preserved.

​Description:

- 12 rooms (standard, superior, and junior suite* ) ALL WITH SATELLITE TV, FRIGOBAR, AIR CONDITIONING, SAFE AND JACUZZI*)
- Special events occupancy : interior 250; exterior unlimited
- Restaurant (reservations required)
- Meeting rooms for 10 to 100 persons
- Wi-fi in conference rooms and in common areas
- Swimming pool
- Spa with sauna, turkish bath and massages (upon request)
- Parking up to 200 Cars (+ other usable space)
- Nature and archaeological paths

We can also organise:
- Sailboat and motorboat excursions, sea kayaking
- Eno-gastronomic tours
- Cookking lessons
- Helicopter tours
- Specific activites for special events:
Orienteering, historical-archeological treasure hunts, raid adventures
Trekking, free-climbing, mountain biking, horse-back riding, quad excursions, trips in all-terrain vehicles, river trekking, rafting, canyoning, skiing.

How to get there
From Catania: take the Catania-Siracusa highway, exit at Lentini/Carlentini and continue toward the Ss. 114; Ss. 194 Catania/Siracusa, to the right for Siracusa; drive 5 km on the Ss. 114; turn right at the Lentini/Carlentini/Brucoli fork; at the Stop sign toward Carlentini and after 50 mt. to the right you will find signs leading you to the Villa.