Uncover the Secrets of Italy’s Most Breathtaking Island SICILY

| BY ADAM JACOT DE BOINOD

“Anyone who has once known this land can never be quite free from the nostalgia of it,” said the writer DH Lawrence of Sicily. She is an island of historic cities and volcanic coastlines. Born out of turmoil, she was occupied for millennia by the Greeks and Romans, the Arabs and the French, all of whom left their mark on the island. It’s truly the archetypal Mediterranean destination. The locals are animated: garrulous and gesticulative. To get a historical and literary flavor, I strongly recommend ‘The Leopard ‘by Tomasi di Lampedusa, a renowned portrait of Sicily in her 19th-century overthrow.

Perfectly placed in the heart of the island’s capital Palermo, and amongst all the major sites is Palazzo Arone di Valentino www.palazzovalentino.com/en/. What a delightful place to stay. It’s surrounded by the theatricality of the monumental Praetorian Fountain, the cathedral, and the Royal (or Norman) Palace, all a minute or two away by foot. With its lovely boutique feel, the hotel’s six rooms and two apartments start from $250 a night. Built in 1555, it’s an aristocratic residence still in use by the family who lives above. It bills itself as ‘a treasure trove of beauty in the center of Palermo’ for one ‘sleeping surrounded by history.’

The hotel is a highly successful blend of the old, with its wooden ceilings and ceramic floors, and the new, with its stone staircase of an entrance. The public rooms were adorned with wooden coffered ceilings decorated with landscapes and flowers. The ‘piano nobile’ (main floor) is a creative treat with colorful ceramic tiles on the floor, Chinese porcelain, and Japanese prints. There are also old artifacts and family memorabilia beneath beautiful frescoes of biblical scenes. I had a spacious suite with rich red, green, and gold colors and a lovely balcony to watch the street life. I particularly recommend the Lady Marianna suite, so special in its glorious blue. I felt part of the family as I sat around a small, intimate breakfast table and buffet display on offer for my ‘bed and breakfast’ experience.

With influences from Italy, Arabia, Africa, and Spain, Sicilian cuisine is a fabulous melting pot of flavor. All is magnificently achieved, as throughout Italy, with the simplest of ingredients. Food on the island is a very important enjoyment. Indeed “We only eat once a day” they say, before adding, “From breakfast right through to dinner.” I loved ‘arancini,’ a ball of creamy risotto rice that’s breaded and deep-fried, and the crisp Monreale almond biscuits.

Modica chocolate is mainly made with cocoa and sugar but mixed in a cold-working process with no added fats. There’s also the Sicilian sausage (the ‘salsiccia’), which is cooked and flavored with fennel. However, the fish is the thing to have, with swordfish and salted cod fish (baccala) local favorites, along with the popular red prawns and salt-crusted sea bass dishes. As for the wines, Nero d’Avola is the most widely planted red grape, as is Catarratto for white wines, which is deliciously soft and dr y. But my favorite was the Zisola Azisa 2022 Noto white wine.

I left the gorgeous mosaics of Monreale Cathedral to journey through the patchwork of fields inland. I was heading for the southern coast between Sciacca and Agrigento. With rugged mountains in front of other mountains as an extra backdrop, the scenic views swept, undulating, and dramatically, twenty miles or more—such a contrast of wild contours and cultivated land. There are abundant olive groves in a landscape dotted with vineyards. The orchards of orange trees were so compact in their fight for the light. All joyously fertile and yielding.

I next stayed at New Adler Spa Resort, www. adler-sicilia.com, suitably close to the town of Sciacca, once renowned for her thermal baths. It’s set in the Ribera orange region and the Torre Salsa Natural Park, where falcons, owls, and turtles have been spotted. It’s steeped in the wilderness, amid woods and valleys yielding olives and oranges. The resort has a gorgeous, inviting descent to six kilometers of uninterrupted, empty, golden coastline. It opened last year and is the magical dream of the Sanoner family and the latest in their Adler collection. It’s a discreet sanctuary for discerning types looking to unwind and replenish, immersing themselves in the joys of well-being: nurturing and nature. With very flexible times, I could get into my natural rhythm rather than have to conform. Casual is the code, and commonly spotted are an almost Japanese combination of brown robes and orange umbrellas.

Indeed sustainability is at the heart of the hotel’s philosophy with its motto, “Let the soul fly.” All the elements are celebrated with the hilltop’s expansive air, the aquamarine sea, the pit fires, and the cedar wood. What joy I felt in the utter abandon of walking down through the woods to the allure of the beach where limestone cliffs bask in their sinuous striations before both sea and sky. From the beach,

I looked up at this citadel to see the lovely shrubs and plants on its roof, a camouflaging silhouette that respected the laws of nature. The buildings were made from porous, volcanic ‘tufo’ stone and the rustic ‘terracuda’ raw clay. Their earthy color perfectly harmonized with their surroundings and blended seamlessly into the gentle hillside. Even the corridors resembled burrows. The heated infinity and the saltwater hydro massage pool echoed the two shades of blue of the sea and the sky. The perfectly landscaped gardens comprise paths lined with abundant flowers and cacti, scented lavender and jasmine, and a stunning proud, and prominent orange coral tree. There are just so many gorgeous viewpoints over the fabulously uninterrupted panoramic landscape.

The local cedar wood acts as a calming and cooling relief from the Sicilian sun. The 90 spacious guest rooms start from $670 with half board for two people. All are at ground level and need no mural decoration as the view is sufficiently captivating. The food from the bustling kitchen is in full view and served by waiters with sunny dispositions. It is available throughout the day and is half-buffet, half à la carte. The hotel’s philosophy is ‘seato-table’ with dining comprising keeping the same table each night as though ‘at home.’

At night the lighting outside is kept refreshingly simple, and inside is low, thus bringing in the dark to be relieved by golden lights resembling lotuses as they float in the water. The noticeboard and daily newspaper keep all informed of activities and excursions. There’s a sauna scented with rosemary, and the spa treatments use local essential oils, extracts, and ingredients. I e-biked, some hiked, and others were guided on the 40-minute drive to the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento, with its extraordinary ancient Greek architecture. I left with a heavy longing to return before long—this is nostalgia at its best.