Villa Trigona, Sicily

It had never occurred to me that a hotel could also be a World Heritage sight. But alas, it can be. And of course, when I had the opportunity to stay in one during my recent trip to Sicily, I snapped up the chance.

Villa Trigona is about a mile outside of the small, stunning and very, very windy town of Piazza Armerina in Sicily. Strangely, although it is relatively close to town, it feels a world apart. Surrounded by overgrown, lush green gardens and forest, you feel as if you’ve been dropped deep into the Sicilian countryside.

In the summer, the villa has a pool and gardens that guests can explore. Since we were there on the off season, we could take a hike through the paths that wind around the buildings, looking in on the gardens of the surrounding houses, most of which were fallow for the autumn.

The villa itself is stunning. It has been in use, in some form or another, since 700 AD. It is hard to imagine anything that old- or, for me, time on that scale. So being in a place like that really inspired my imagination.

The rooms were massive for Europe- and very adorably decorated. Spare furniture but very old to match the building itself, and very colourful.

The bathroom was a little sketchy- the shower, which basically was a part of the bathroom floor with a drain, was particularly disturbing, but in such an old place, you can’t have everything! (Sorry for the pic quality, iPad Generation “0” snap!)

The best part of our stay at the Villa Trigona was the dinner. You can decide to drive into Piazza Armerina, but I’m not sure why anyone would with such an amazing, authentic Italian dinner awaiting them just steps away. All you need to do is talk to the receptionist in the afternoon, let her know any dietary requirements (such as, for us, being vegetarian) and you can go down to dinner at any time between 7 and 10pm. You’ll get bread, starters, a main and dessert. And, lets not forget, house wine for your bread and starters and a delicious bottle for the main course. Our dinner, made from fresh ingredients grown right at the villa, was the highlight of our trip. The dining room is also interesting to look around- ancient paintings, perhaps of past occupants, and a few relics, such as old farming equipment and clothing. An eclectic mix that really sets off how old and storied your surroundings are.

In the morning, if you still aren’t too stuffed from dinner, breakfast is another high point. Unlike dinner, which seemed authentically Italian, breakfast includes more than a pastry and coffee, which we learned seems to be the Italian way. Eggs, yogurt, granola, sausages, fruit, pastries and more are laid out in the kitchen- along with coffee, tea and a selection of juices. If you ask super nicely, they’ll even make you a pancake!

We only stayed at the Villa Trigona for one night, on our way to the Roman Ruins outside of Piazza Armerina. If it were summertime, or you have the guts to drive through Piazza Armerina several times (two just about did it for us, what with the steep, narrow and extremely winding roads that were often wet from rain), I’d say stay as long as you can or want. The price is right and the place itself just a page right out of history.