DESCRIPTION:

We offer a luxury villa in Sicily, located in a prestigious area of ​​noble villas in the city of Syracuse.
This charming period villa is located on the highest point of the ancient and historic Plemmirio promontory in Syracuse, in an area of ​​prestigious stately homes that once belonged to other aristocratic Sicilian families.
At the beginning of the century, as evidenced by a period photograph, two magnificent lions stood on either side of the villa's entrance steps: these two marble sculptures were stolen during World War II.
As a reminder of the family crest, an ancient coat of arms carved in stone peeks out from the vegetation of the botanical garden on a stone watchtower. The family would relax at the top, admiring the sea views from the large harbor.
The villa has numerous rooms and boasts a splendid glass veranda topped by an Art Nouveau wrought-iron structure.
This luxury villa has been maintained in excellent condition for years and extends over three levels. It has nine bedrooms in total and a large ballroom used for receptions. This room connects to another room, featuring a double-sided stone fireplace that was used to heat both rooms.
Outside, a 19th-century botanical garden was redesigned by the renowned Ettore Paternò del Toscano, who planted a considerable number of rare plants, still present today.
Walking along the paths is like taking a journey back in time almost two hundred years. The origins of the villa are much older, and reliable studies suggest that the current one was built on the site of a fortified structure dating back to the founding of Greek Syracuse. In fact, ancient depictions of a castle with watchtowers are found on the very spot where the villa now stands.
This part of Sicily is also described by the great poet Virgil in the third book of the Aeneid.
The villa stands in the land that gave birth to the mathematical physicist Archimedes, a few hundred meters from the inlets of the Syracusan coast, overlooking the island of Ortigia, lapped by an enchanting azure sea. History tells of great naval battles between Corinthian Syracuse and the Athenians, and later against the Roman siege. This luxurious villa deserves to be restored to its former splendor.
The writer Roger Peyrefitte, in his book "Returns to Sicily," describes this villa as sumptuous, likely out of gratitude for the owners' hospitality.
There is the option to purchase two additional buildings, a former stable and a brick event pavilion, which can be transformed into an elegant villa or guesthouse by adding another hectare of land, with the possibility of building on an unused space.
If you are looking for luxury villas in Sicily with an old-world charm, this is certainly the most exclusive property you can find.