Antica Dimora Benanti, a typical sicilian house of early last century Sicily, positioned on the eastern slope of Mount Etna, in the part that steeply descends towards the azure of the Ionian Sea, welcomes you, offering you the "welcome to Sicily": land of sun and sea, of the green of lush Mediterranean vegetation and the deep black of lava, of the crystal-clear sparkle of its waters and the intense scents of its early spring, of the reds and oranges of its deciduous leaves in its late autumn.
The structure: Antica Dimora Benanti is a two-story building surrounded by two bodies of nineteenth-century cellars that delimit its large courtyard facing east, protecting it in winter from the colder winds of the northwest, north, and west. The main apartment is located on the upper floor of the building. From the living room, through its three large windows, you can enjoy the splendid panorama of the eastern side of Mount Etna, its summit often crowned by typical fumaroles and chestnut woods on the sides of the steep walls of its narrow valleys; from the first bedroom, located at the corner of the building, the view ranges from Etna to the cherry orchard belonging to the estate; from the second bedroom, the gaze moves from the cherry orchard surrounding the estate to the Ionian Sea; finally, from a third relaxation room with a large sofa with a view and access to a terrace of about 30 square meters, the panorama stretches over the entire stretch of the Ionian Sea from Taormina to Syracuse.
The location: Antica Dimora Benanti is located between Taormina and Catania, in the territory of Milo, a small town on the slopes of Mount Etna. Located a short distance from the village is the main house of a typical estate in Eastern Sicily, where a lush cherry orchard and an olive grove of typical plants of the Etna region provide shade and coolness. Perched on the lands of the eastern slope of the island, the house enjoys a splendid view of the highest active volcano in Europe and the azure expanse of the Ionian Sea, which extends, in the breathtaking view from the terraces of the Antica Dimora Benanti, from Taormina to the Gulf of Catania. For lovers of the tranquility of the high hills, the fresh and fragrant air of oak, holm oak, birch, and resinous coniferous forests, it is the ideal place for a relaxing and pleasant stay, in direct contact with nature.
Places of interest to visit: The structure is strategically located to visit the most fascinating locations in the eastern part of this beautiful land:
- the formidable Mongibello, the name by which Mount Etna is called, serves as a backdrop, and the short distance makes it easy to reach the wonderful hiking trails on its slopes;
- Acireale, a typical Baroque city, is nearby to amaze you with its churches, palaces, and frescoes;
- ancient Catania with its millennia-old history dating back to the Greeks and Romans, its Greek and Roman theaters, and its huge Roman amphitheater partly buried by millennia-old lava flows, the city of Emperor Frederick II of Swabia, who built his castle there, proud and bold with its Baroque style adorning the palaces erected with tenacious force in the early 1700s, with a lively nightlife that keeps it awake 365 days a year;
- Taormina, the Pearl of the Ionian Sea, perched on Mount Tauro, with its Greek-Roman theater, its coves, bays, and beaches;
- Syracuse, for its ancient Greek domination;
- Noto for its splendid opulent Baroque architecture adorned with monsters, plants, and stone flowers;
- Ragusa and Ibla, priceless jewels of Baroque in its most specific Sicilian expression;
- Modica for its wonderful Baroque forms carved in stone.
Let yourself be captivated by this beautiful land, let the overflowing opulence of Nature and its fascinating works of art conceived by ingenuity and crafted by human hands seduce your senses to make you exclaim as the great Wolfgang Goethe said in his journey to Italy when he visited Sicily: "Italy without Sicily leaves no image in the mind. It is the key to everything here."
