Overview
The more the merrier! You’ve heard that good old saying right? It’s true for birthday celebrations, weddings, family reunions, football nights at the local pub, and anything else that constitutes a grrrr…great party. That’s why this saying is the ongoing theme at the Princely Houses, a soloSicily property specially dedicated to large groups and special events. Located smack in the middle of an immense countryside estate blooming with citrus fruit and Saracen olive trees, the Princely Houses consists of five independent cottages and the dazzling main house adjacent to them. Two private pools, an exclusive stage, impressive lawns, the green hilltops of Taormina’s countryside, the Ionian Sea, and the brooding Etna volcano create an out-of-this-world setting for all the exciting things you have planned for your entourage. Candle-lit buffet dinners, scavenger hunts, afternoons on the beach, or a private jazz concert…
Property details
You’ve been waiting a long time for this. So long, in fact, that you can hardly believe the day has finally arrived. The amazing thing is, everybody (yes, even grumpy Grandma Gertrude) agreed to fly down to Sicily for this special holiday. A high-five to yourself for coming up with this awesome idea.
The Princely Houses is exactly what you were looking for. With the huge lawns and fruit-filled garden, there is more than enough space for the kids’ scavenger hunt. The covered gazebo outside, with its spotlights, is where you’ll hold that amateur Poker tournament and buffet dinner. You’ve already reserved the stage for the BIG surprise. And nobody will be complaining about the two luxury swimming pools and sunbathing decks either.
The five cottages look out onto the garden and barriers of oleander separate each front patio from the next. Every cottage features décor items and furnishings with a Mediterranean personality. The floors are paved with terracotta, the roofs are made of natural canes, and they remind you of a traditional Sicilian farmhouse from times past. The cottages vary in size (from 50 sq. m to 100 sq. m), but they all have a double bedroom, a bath with shower, a sitting room with a small mezzanine holding two beds for children aged 5-16, a private patio with cane covering, an exclusive garden (5x5m), and a cooking area adorned with ceramic tiles from Santo Stefano di Camastra.
The main house’s front patio opens up into a multi-levelled living room with orange walls, an open fireplace, several sitting areas, and a copper chimney makes its way up to the slanting roof of varnished old cane. A stone stairway leads to a cosy mezzanine with two single beds and a reading corner. The master bedroom, painted in a vivacious shade of blue, features a restored bed from the 1830’s and a fascinating collection of antique furniture sketches. The other four double bedrooms, each painted in a different colour, can all be converted into twins on request and lie under spectacularly barrelled ceilings. The mat green dining area can accommodate up to 22 people. The six bathrooms of the home all come with a shower and make use of the Solar Prism System, a special illumination system that uses solar energy and produces a very natural light.
Celebrating at the foot of Etna Volcano, on the doorsteps of the Ionian Sea….now that’s what you call partying with style!
Area details
The Princely Houses are located in a tranquil area less than 7 miles away from the centre of Taormina. The villa sits in the middle of a huge countryside estate that grows oranges, lemon, olives and grapes all year round. The estate, which belongs to the aristocratic House of Alliata di Villafranca, lies at the foot of the Etna Volcano and is only a short drive away from the sandy beaches at Mazzarò and Giardini Naxos. Architecture and history buffs will be delighted by the Baroque treasures of Catania and Acireale. Those of you who are seeking a little rush of adrenaline will love the ravines of the Alcantara river and the surreal treks up Mt. Etna. Let’s just say there is something here for everyone!
Additional Information
Heating system € 200 p/w from December to March.
Additional housekeeping € 15 p/h. Internet connection € 30 p/w.
Late arrival after 22:30 € 50 - after 24:00 € 100.
Even smaller parties renting the Main House only (up to 12) will have exclusive use of the whole garden (2.000 sq. m.) along with the pool set right in front of the property.
Releated Press Articles
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Short haul: Princely Houses - 11 January 2011
Short haul: Princely Houses - 11 January 2011

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THE TIMES: Solo Sicily has properties available for dates coinciding with half-term in the UK and the annual carnival, dating back to the 16th century, in Acireale, on the east coast between Taormina and Catania. Cottages for four on the Queen’s Jewels farm estate near Taormina cost from £335 for a week; an elegant apartment for seven in Acireale is from £726 for three nights. Flights extra; BA operates from Gatwick to Catania. 020-7193 0158
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Farm Stay on Sicily: Princely Houses - 12 April 2009
Farm Stay on Sicily: Princely Houses - 12 April 2009

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THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Tuck into home-produced olive oil, jam and eggs, staying on a farm estate in eastern Sicily at "The Queen's Jewels", five cottages (sleeping from four to eight people) with a large shared pool. Solo Sicily (020 7193 0158, www.solosicily.com): £433 (based on four sharing), including flights.
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Top 10 Holidays... Princely Houses - 9 October 2011
Top 10 Holidays.. for two families: Princely Houses - 9 October 2011

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SUNDAY MIRROR: SICILIAN ADVENTURE
A heated swimming pool and October temperatures hovering in the mid-20s make a stay at Queen's Jewels estate in Sicily feel more like a summer holiday than half-term break. The estate has an eight-bed cottage and is near the elegant clifftop town of Taormina. The cottage has a terrace overlooking lemon and olive groves and you can buy fruit, olive oil, home-made jam and fresh eggs from the farmer. The owner has also arranged family discounts at the pizzeria. Go mountain biking with the kids in the nearby Gorge of Alcantara and watch for puffs of steam and even molten lava on a trip to Mount Etna.
How Much? A week at half-term starts at £1,145 total (£572.50 per family) excluding flights through www.soloSicily.com. Ryanair return flights to Trapani during half-term average £179 ex-Luton (www.ryanair.com).
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Great late deals in the... Princely Houses - July 2011
Great late deals in the school holidays: Princely Houses - July 2011

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SUNDAY MIRROR: Although the summer school holidays are almost upon us, even more families have left it to the last minute to book this year because of worries over the economy. As a result there have been reports of a surge in demand at the eleventh hour. But if you haven't booked yet there's no need to panic... there's still plenty of availability and a bit of careful searching on the internet could throw up a good deal.
If you want to join forces with another family which guarantees the kids will have playmates, Solo Sicily (www.solosicily.com, 020 7193 0158) has some big reductions on its larger villas. Throughout August, Casa Etna, which sleeps 12, costs £4,780 per week (a saving of £530). Flights and car hire not included.
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Festival fun in... Princely Houses - 25 January 2009
Festival fun in February: Princely Houses - 25 January 2009

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SUNDAY MIRROR:
Q CAN you tell me anything about the carnival in Sicily? And where should we stay? - Lisa Brume, Southampton
A HEAD for Acireale, a sea-side town at the foot of Mount Etna on the east coast which stages a flamboyant carnival between February 7 and 24. Stay at The Queen's Jewels cottages. A week for four costs pounds 280 at www.solosicily.com or call 020 7193 0158.