WHAT DOES SICILY, AN ELECTRIC CAR AND AN ARISTOCRAT HAVE IN COMMON?

Exploring new destinations as a tourist is an exciting experience, but doing it sustainably can be a challenge. Challenge taken up by Sicily by Car with the new itinerary “Donna Sicilia”

Exploring new destinations as a tourist is an exhilarating experience but exploring them in a sustainable way can be challenging. Sicily by Car has risen to this challenge with its newly launched Donna Sicilia itinerary where tourists hire an electric car and choose from a circuit of 19 historic residences which all have charging stations. With sun, sea, and sustainability in sight, we selected three of these residences in western Sicily, and packed our stretchiest pants for all the delicious street-food we were about to eat. Our first stop on this eco-tour of Sicily was the newly renovated Villa del Gattopardo. Situated just 20 minutes from Palermo airport, it is a wonderful place to start this island-tour. The villa has strong literary ties because it is where Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s famous novel, ‘Il Gattopardo’ or ‘The Leopard’ was both written and based. Giuseppe’s father bought the villa in 1845 and Giuseppe would stay and write here during his summers. This villa was in ruin for hundreds of years, but with the help of Sicily by Car CEO Tommaso Dragotto, the residence has been totally restored into a luxury hotel. It is as much a marvel for the local Palermitan to see the villa’s transformation as it is the tourist to be in the very same grounds the fictional masterpiece was created. Inaugurated on May 26th, 2023, we were lucky to be some of the first guests to stay in one the hotel’s eight suites.

For our next stop we drove to Baglio Oneto in Marsala; an ancient farmhouse still managed by the Oneto family which now runs as a five-star-luxury wine-resort. The joy of this place is that it is surrounded by vineyards where nine different types of wine and olive-oil are cultivated. These can all be tasted at dinnertime! The in-house sommelier is extremely knowledgeable, and we enjoyed a wine-tasting in the cool cellar of the grounds where celebrities such as Harrison Ford have also sipped on local Zibibbo wine. The view from the pool where the sea meets the sky is stunning, and the historic courtyard where guests now dine outside is the beating-heart of its grounds. The ancient well remains at the centre of the courtyard aromas of fresh rose, mint and jasmine punctuate the air.

Our final destination, Castello San Marco, took us back to the outskirts of Palermo in Santa Flavia. The Manor was an aristocratic summer estate like Villa Gattopardo, and one where Tomasi di Lampedusa happened to stay during WW2. It started out as a single artillery tower, built as a refuge against sugar-cane-stealing pirates, and was extended by architect and Dominican priest, Domenico Cirrincione. There is a pristine swimming pool in the grounds of a botanical garden where exotic trees grow in shady groves alongside flowering cacti. We parked and charged our car at the back of the Manor where the descendants still live and spent the night in one of two family-sized apartments at the front of the property, reflecting on our adventure so far.

This unique itinerary acts as a historical eco-guide to Sicily. It’s a great way to travel the island and immerse yourself in historical narratives, safe in the knowledge that you’re driving a net-zero car. Now if this isn’t enough of an incentive, then let me tell you, the food along the route is enough to leave you more than a few kg happier!