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.
What is the story behind it, what was your inspiration to buy the property?
The loft is in Noto, a beautiful town that was constructed during the Baroque Epoch after the previous town was destroyed during an earthquake. Because it was largely abandoned (until a few decades ago), there were some excellent opportunities to save a beautiful place.
Prior to purchasing the property, it was occupied by a family who had reconfigured it as an apartment. It had been poorly developed but we saw the potential. The idea was to take it back to its original layout when it was a monastery. Later, it was occupied by a bishop who created a seminary here.
While it wasn’t possible to recover the space exactly as it was (it had been partially destroyed during the 1970s renovation), we peeled back what had been done and created what you see today.
Our first guests stayed in August 2023, just after we finished the renovations.
How would you describe the atmosphere and the interior design the loft?
The building was created by a well-known architect, Rosario Gagliardi, who was responsible for a lot of beautiful buildings in Sicily. When you find yourself with something that was created by a genius, it’s difficult to do anything — we feared changing things at all! So our idea was to minimalise the concept and give ourselves (and guests) an essential experience. We wanted to go back to it as a sanctuary, when all you could see outside the windows were olive and almond trees.
I’m a real estate entrepreneur and my wife is an artist, so we designed everything together. I’m passionate about art and history, and try to find beautiful spaces and repurpose them while incorporating my point of view. Locally, there is an ancient tradition of handcrafting, so we had all of the pieces custom-built using local materials and local experience.
Because the space is very big and we didn’t want to fill it with a lot of things, we designed all of the furniture to be oversized. In a photograph, it’s all proportional, so you don’t get the full idea. But it’s a nice impact when you step inside and realize how big it all is.
Staying at the loft is an overwhelming experience — it’s the most peaceful place in downtown Noto. The silence and the amazing light that enters all day long through the massive windows — it’s really something unexpected. It goes beyond just being a real estate piece. It gives you an amazing sense of well-being. We wanted it to be a place where we and our guests could relax in the best way possible.
To you personally, what is so special about the loft?
It’s the kind of relaxation I can achieve once I am sitting in silence. It takes you to a special place and transmits something that goes beyond what you experience in other properties. It’s something you feel when you are looking at the sunset through the windows.
