Home to Europe’s largest volcano, the Etna region is a year-round garden of earthly delights. Take a road trip anywhere in Sicily in summer and you’ll see stretches of golden sunburnt hills and arid mountains stripped bare of all greenery. But not here. Etna is the most fertile area in Sicily, owing its oasis status to the rich volcanic soil, infused with nutrients and minerals. Built on the northern flank of the volcano in the small town of Linguaglossa, Palazzo Previtera has borne witness to the beauty for over 300 years. This 1649 palazzo is your gate to both the gorgeous natural park surrounding it, and the small towns dotting the flanks of Mount Etna.
Why stay at Palazzo Previtera?
For a holiday in Sicily that doesn’t revolve around tanning by the seaside or checking out city attractions. Mount Etna’s natural park is often trod on the way to historic Siracusa or metropolitan Catania, but unless you’re a seasoned hiker or climber, you’re unlikely to give staying overnight a second thought. In Palazzo Previtera you can combine the adventurous and the cultural by lodging in a storied 17th century palace still family-run to this day, with a prime view of the volcano and lush outdoors. Stroll through the gardens with a steaming hot coffee as your companion and you’ll see green palm fronds, grapes ripening on vines, and apricots, figs, and even kiwis, overflowing from trees.
Beyond the special allure of the frescoed rooms and four-post beds, Palazzo Previtera is also the only Etna Living Museum, home to a contemporary gallery space that’s populated with works from contemporary artists who come to do residences in Linguaglossa from across the world.
What are the rooms like at Palazzo Previtera?
More luxury B&B than hotel, Palazzo Previtera’s modern rooms are simple, leaving guests to focus on their surroundings. Ten steps separate the Dovecote Room, where I stay, from the sunny pool with views of Mount Etna. The temptation is to spend all day outside marvelling at the Eden around me and lounging by the pool. To be honest, there is nothing to really keep me inside the room – no TV, no coffee maker, no extra amenities beyond water and a welcome pack with local preserves, and very little curtains on the glass doors and windows to keep the light (and looks of other guests passing by) outside. Bathroom facilities are simply decorated, with a green marble decor mirroring the emerald fronds outside, and essential toiletries provided.
Sleeping in the main building comes with a higher price tag, but you get to stay in the same refined rooms the family used to occupy until 2011. The rooms in the palazzo are uniquely furnished with dark wooden antiques, including a spacious wardrobe, as well as prints and paintings by local artists hung on the walls.
What is the food like at Palazzo Previtera?
Picture this: you roll out of bed and into the sun-filled patio sandwiched between your door and the glistening pool. In a matter of minutes, the local cats have stirred in the wilderness, lured by the banquet lovingly set up by staff on your table. It feels like time has slowed down, a hazy mist between 8am and 11am in which you are invited to put pause on the hustle and bustle and just indulge in the spread of delicious spreads, cheeses, seasonal fruit, fresh bread, and freshly-squeezed juices. You can have breakfast two ways between the hours of 8.30am to 10.30am: in the peace of your own garden, or in the main dining room.
The newest addition to the hotel is the vaulted restaurant, furnished with glossy wooden tables from the old residence. Chefs Alberto Carpinteri e Kaita Osumimoto are behind the 4-course tasting menu, which changes according to seasonality and chef’s creativity, and features nibble-size Sicilian delicacies. The tasting menu is €100 per person excluding wine. Alternatively, you can head to the bar at the end of the lava stone path in the garden to savour small plates and cocktails in a sleek whitewashed stone room with vaults ribbed with lava stone details.
What services does Palazzo Previtera offer?
The unique selling point of the stay is, without any doubt, the Palazzo, whose mesmerising rooms you could spend an entire day exploring. Grandson of the last living Previtera, owner and manager Alfio Puglisi is your knowledgeable guide through all the nooks and crannies of this volcanic estate. The frescoed sitting rooms, each with its own distinctive character, are interspersed with shaded libraries filled with 300 years’ worth of books and intimate family chapels. Far from just telling the story of the family, these spaces reflect Sicilian history of the noble classes more broadly.
The hotel also organises experiences to connect guests with Sicilian traditions, from cooking classes focused on cleaning fish and roasting vegetables for Mediterranean casseroles, to excursions on Mount Etna paired with a guided tasting on the region’s delectable wines. On a bespoke basis, Palazzo Previtera can arrange visits to its Bonneherbe estate, 15 hectares of unspoiled woodland rife with hazelnut trees and ancient oaks.
What’s the area around Palazzo Previtera like?
The hotel is located in the small town of Linguaglossa, which was built on a solidified lava stream in the 1500s. It’s worth spending an afternoon hopping from church to church, and exploring the sun-kissed piazzette of this charming town. Make sure to check out the Madre delle Grazie and the Sant’Egidio churches, and the Museo Francesco Messina, 5 minutes’ walk from Palazzo Previtera.
What is the service like at Palazzo Previtera?
As a family-run enterprise, Palazzo Previtera has a very small but hands-on staff. While they can’t be at your beck and call 24/7, you get your own freedom, and staff accommodates requests such as late check-outs or early check-ins wherever possible. For any special requests to facilitate your stay, all you need to do is emailing the property beforehand.
Why you should book a stay at Palazzo Previtera
The palazzo works well for both the minimalist and the maximalist traveller. The former will love the modern stone-fronted rooms facing the Etna park and the gardens, while the latter will feel right at home in the grandiose main palazzo. But it especially suits the adventurous traveller who’s after a unique taste of Sicily, one that’s far away from the resorts and the overflowing streets of the big cities. Come here to rest, recharge, and commune with her majesty Mount Etna.
The hotel and restaurant are open year-round, save for two weeks of winter closure between November and January, making it an ideal stay for shoulder and low season getaways.
DETAILS
Address: Via Dante Alighieri 24, 95015 Linguaglossa.
Price per night: starting from €200 per night including breakfast.
Closest transport: one hour from Catania Airport.