Country House Villadorata
Country House Villadorata is a small boutique hotel near the Baroque city of Noto in southeastern Sicily, set amidst olive groves and only a short drive from the secluded, crystalline beaches.
When you step into Dimora delle Balze, you are transported to another time.
How would you describe Dimora delle Balze in a nutshell?
Dimora delle Balze is a 19th-century farm estate that’s been transformed into a hotel, with 11 uniquely designed rooms, a swimming pool and a wellness area.
What was the inspiration and story behind Dimora delle Balze?
The estate was originally built in 1886 by a wealthy farmer and was purchased by the current owner in 2008. After 9 years of restoration works, in collaboration with designers Draga Obradovic and Stefano Guidotti, it opened as a hotel in 2017.
How would you describe the atmosphere and interior design at Dimora delle Balze?
When you step into Dimora delle Balze, you are transported to another time, as all of the walls and ceilings are original and there are numerous vintage pieces. But there are also touches of the contemporary, with many of the furnishings custom-designed, so you know you are in the present.
To you personally, what is so special about the property?
It’s the combination of simplicity with an exclusive, luxurious atmosphere.
Is Dimora delle Balze suitable for families with children?
Yes, families with children of all ages are welcome.
The property centres around a large quadrangular courtyard, with left and right wings. When you enter, you find the reception on your left-hand side, along with seven rooms. On the right-hand side is the breakfast room and a library, as well as two rooms, plus another open courtyard — the Winter Garden — that leads to an additional two rooms. Outside the main building are the swimming pool, fitness and wellness areas.
Each of the rooms is individually designed and ranges from 20 to 45 square metres in size, with either double or queen-size beds. We have two smaller rooms, four standard rooms, four deluxe suites and one junior suite, with the larger rooms offering terraces/balconies. The names of the rooms refer to works by Sicilian artists and pay homage to them.
L’Annunciata is a painting by Antonello da Messina, which represents a fundamental work of the Italian Renaissance painting. The image of the Madonna seems almost to escape the painting in a mixture of beauty and secretiveness. The room that carries this name is 40 square metres wide and it has a private terrace.
The room features:
Queen size bed
Private Terrace
Bathroom with tub and built-in shower
Wifi connection
Air-conditioning
Satellite TV
Telephone with direct line
In-room safe
Minibar
Kettle and selection of Thé Mariage Frères and Bio Tisane
Hairdryer
Bathrobe and other accessories
Signoria Florence sheets
Simmons mattress
Room service
Courtesy sets, perfumes made exclusively for Dimora delle Balze
Renato Guttuso is the master of the Italian surrealist painting. Author of many portraits, among which Giovanni Pirelli, Lucio Fontana, Alberto Moravia and Carlo Levi, he never forgot the love for Bagheria, his place of birth, a leitmotif of all his works. He often portrayed himself, giving life to works characterised by vibrant energy and inner conflict.
The room Autoritratto is connected to the room Coro Spezzato, it has an adjoining terrace and it is 25 square metres wide.
The room features:
French size bed
Terrace
Bathroom with a shower
Possibility of a connecting room
Wifi connection
Air conditioning
Satellite TV
Telephone with direct line
In-room safe
Minibar
Kettle and selection of Thé Mariage Frères and Bio Tisane
Hairdryer
Bathrobe and other accessories
Signoria Florence sheets
Simmons mattress
Room service
Courtesy sets, perfumes made exclusively for Dimora delle Balze
La Sconosciuta is a 2006 film by Giuseppe Tornatore. The moving story of Irena reveals the terrible destiny of some eastern European girls, exploited in order to give their children up for adoption. The result of the work of the master from Bagheria is a story of incredible fortitude, of affection and courage. Situated on the main court, the room La Sconosciuta is 35 square metres wide and it has a small terrace.
The room features:
Queen size bed
Balcony overlooking the street and the swimming pool
Bathroom with a shower
Wifi connection
Air conditioning
Satellite TV
Telephone with direct line
In-room safe
Minibar
Kettle and selection of Thé Mariage Frères and Bio Tisane
Hairdryer
Bathrobe and other accessories
Signoria Florence sheets
Simmons mattress
Room service
Courtesy sets, perfumes made exclusively for Dimora delle Balze
Coro Spezzato is the name of a work by the multifaceted contemporary artist Rosa Barba, born in Agrigento and raised in Berlin. Her installations examine the nature of visual arts, to probe the structure of cinematographic narrations and their relation with memory. The “Choir” is defined as “broken” because it doesn’t work like a classic choir, but it is spatially fragmented. The different voices have broken rhythms, and react to each other with questions and answers. The room which carries the name of this work is connected to the room Autoritratto (self-portrait). It is 30 square metres wide and it has an adjacent terrace with a view of the court.
The room features:
Queen size bed
Terrace
Bathroom with a shower
Armchair bed
Possibility of a connecting room
Wifi connection
Air conditioning
Satellite TV
Telephone with direct line
In-room safe
Minibar
Kettle and selection of Thé Mariage Frères and Bio Tisane
Hairdryer
Bathrobe and other accessories
Signoria Florence sheets
Simmons mattress
Room service
Courtesy sets, perfumes made exclusively for Dimora delle Balze
“I am tortured tortured tortured by this semicolon.” (Punto e Virgola). Emilio Isgrò is a conceptual artist, writer, poet, painter, dramatist. He was born in Barcellona, Sicily, and he loves to define himself a “… deleter of all the possible existing forms”, with the aim to create new ones. The room which carries this work’s name extends to 30 square metres and it has a small adjacent terrace, with a view of the court.
The room features:
Queen size bed
Terrace
Bathroom with shower
Overlooking the court
Wifi connection
Air conditioning
Satellite TV
Telephone with direct line
In-room safe
Minibar
Kettle and selection of Thé Mariage Frères and Bio Tisane
Hairdryer
Bathrobe and other accessories
Signoria Florence sheets
Simmons mattress
Room service
Courtesy sets, perfumes made exclusively for Dimora delle Balze
Mal Giocondo (“Bad Joyful”) is a collection of verses by Luigi Pirandello. The title is an oxymoron, the two words with a dissenting meaning are put together and used as a metaphor for a love, that for the cousin Lina, which causes him joy and suffering at the same time. The room which owes its name to this work extends to about 20 square metres and it has an adjacent terrace with a view of the court.
The room features:
French bed
Bathroom with a shower
Wifi connection
Air conditioning
Satellite TV
Telephone with direct line
In-room Safe
Minibar
Kettle and selection of Thé Mariage Frères and Bio Tisane
Hairdryer
Bathrobe and other accessories
Signoria Florence sheets
Simmons mattress
Room service
Courtesy sets, perfumes made exclusively for Dimora delle Balze
The hermetic poet Salvatore Quasimodo was born in Modica in 1901. He soon left Sicily and it seems that it was the distance from home who brought him to dedicate himself to writing. In his numerous poems, the Island becomes the symbol of lost happiness. The difficult estrangement, however, also allowed him to become a part of one of the most exclusive circle of artists and writers, among which there was Eugenio Montale. In 1959 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. The room Poesie, with a view of the court, has an adjacent terrace and it is 35 square metres wide.
The room features:
Queen size bed
Terrace
Bathroom with a shower
Living area with dormeuse
Wifi connection
Air conditioning
Satellite TV
Telephone with direct line
In-room safe
Minibar
Kettle and selection of Thé Mariage Frères and Bio Tisane
Hairdryer
Bathrobe and other accessories
Signoria Florence sheets
Simmons mattress
Room service
Courtesy sets, perfumes made exclusively for Dimora delle Balze
Proibito is the title of one of the most significative masterpieces of the Oscar-winning director Frank Capra. Born in Sicily in 1897 and migrated to America, he stages intense feelings and captivating stories, like the ones we would like our guests to experience. A warm Mediterranean blue greets the guest in the room Proibito, situated in the Manor House. It has a mezzanine and it is 35 square metres wide.
The room features:
Queen size bed
Mezzanine with dorrneuse
Bathroom with a shower
Overlooking the main garden
Wifi connection
Air conditioning
Satellite TV
Telephone with direct line
In-room safe
Minibar
Kettle and selection of Thé Mariage Frères and Bio Tisane
Hairdryer
Bathrobe and other accessories
Signoria Florence sheets
Simmons mattress
Room service
Courtesy sets, perfumes made exclusively for Dimora delle Balze
Clandestini is an exhibition that collects paintings and drawings of the master Giovanni Iudice, who in his works creates a “hypervision of reality”. The artist represents human discomfort, concentrating on the serious problem of illegal immigration, without excluding the sensitivity with which this theme should be faced. The room Clandestini, placed at the top of the little tower, is 25 square metres wide and has a beautiful view of the Valley, of the carob valley and of the swimming pool.
The room features:
Queen size bed
Balcony overlooking the street and the swimming pool
Bathroom with a shower
Wifi connection
Air conditioning
Satellite TV
Telephone with direct line
In-room safe
Minibar
Kettle and selection of Thé Mariage Frères and Bio Tisane
Hairdryer
Bathrobe and other accessories
Signoria Florence sheets
Simmons mattress
Room service
Courtesy sets, perfumes made exclusively for Dimora delle Balze
Peppenino is one of the precious characters of the Opera dei Pupi by Ignazio Puglisi. Defined as the “Operating Prince”, he led one of the most important Pupari families for years. After his death, the nephew Ignazio Manlio took the company lead. As a proof of the importance of the Opera dei Pupi in the Sicilian tradition, it was added in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists in 2008. The room, which takes its name from the character Peppenino, extends to about 45 square metres. It has a mezzanine and an adjacent terrace with a view of the court.
The room features:
Queen size bed
Mezzanine with double bed
Bathroom with a shower
Facing the court
Wifi connection
Air conditioning
Satellite TV
Telephone with direct line
In-room safe
Minibar
Kettle and selection of Thé Mariage Frères and Bio Tisane
Hairdryer
Bathrobe and other accessories
Signoria Florence sheets
Simmons mattress
Room service
Courtesy sets, perfumes made exclusively for Dimora delle Balze
“You need to dream to achieve glory and money; I have nothing but my youth, and I need to take advantage of it…”. With his novel Eva, Giovanni Verga denounces the inability of the public to understand the refinement and the delicacy of art, and it does so by narrating the short passion between the painter Enrico Lanti and the lively dancer Eva. The room which carries the name of this work is situated in front of the manger and it has a surface of 35 square metres.
The room features:
Queen size bed
Private access to Mangiatoia and Winter Garden
Bathroom with a shower
Wifi connection
Air conditioning
Satellite TV
Telephone with direct line
In-room safe
Minibar
Kettle and selection of Thé Mariage Frères and Bio Tisane
Hairdryer
Bathrobe and other accessories
Signoria Florence sheets
Simmons mattress
Room service
Courtesy sets, perfumes made exclusively for Dimora delle Balze
In the courtyard, we have a 10-metre swimming pool (which is not heated) and alongside is a restaurant that can be open or closed, depending on the weather. We serve lunch and dinner every day, using organic produce from our vegetable gardens or from the surrounding area as much as possible. Also in the courtyard is our wellness cabin where you can have massages or beauty treatments on request and a fitness area that we’re currently expanding.
Wi-Fi is provided complimentarily for guests and we offer parking in a secure, gated area. Our reception is open from 8 am until the last guests arrive home for the evening, no matter what time that is. The reception also works as a concierge, so you can get restaurant recommendations/reservations or make tour bookings here. Cleaning is provided in the mornings and evenings, and we can offer babysitting services on request.
I’d recommend visiting the historic centre of Palazzolo Acreide, particularly the Church of San Sebastiano, as well as Syracuse, which centres around a beautiful square and cathedral that was once the Temple of Athena. Outside of the historic centre is an archaeological area with a Greek theatre and Roman amphitheatre. Noto is also very beautiful with its Baroque-style architecture and richly decorated palazzi.
The closest sand beaches are located within a nearby reserve and are very wild — there are few services, such as parking, showers and restaurants but they are very beautiful. Around 40 kilometres away is the beach town of San Lorenzo where you’ll find plenty of services.
Dimora delle Balze is located seven kilometres from the UNESCO World Heritage-listed town of Palazzolo Acreide where you’ll find all the services (supermarkets, petrol stations, restaurants) you need. Around 30 kilometres from the property are the cities of Noto and Syracuse, both of which are home to fine art galleries, museums and restaurants.
We’re located in Sicily’s countryside and don’t have any immediate neighbours. This region experiences beautiful weather (it’s not too hot in the summer) and we are around 40 kilometres from the closest beach.
We are open from just before Easter until the end of October. But in my opinion, the best time to visit is in May or June when the weather is not too hot and the art exhibitions are being held in Syracuse. In July, the summer season officially begins but it’s not quite as crowded as in August.
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