Two Luxury Villas, Each with Private Pool and One with Tennis Court
Beautiful Gardens, in peaceful Countryside, 3 kms from the Sea, close to Greek temples
Sleeps 8 each (3 and 4 Bedrooms)
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Entrance to Santa Maria is through a courtyard with a well in the centre. The ground floor is rented to guests while the co-owners and caretakers occupy the upper floor with a separate entrance. The ground floor has a private walled orange grove with a fountain and a terrace for outdoor dining. The villa is enhanced by olive groves, a mature formal garden, tennis court and Mediterranean pool garden with gazebo. Santa Rosalia is a separate villa with a huge garden planted with olive and fruit trees and now hasits own pool. The sea and nearest town, Mazara are only 3 kms away. Mazara, on the very western tip of Sicily, is Italy's major fishing port and is full of excellent restaurants specialising in fish, not to mention beautiful baroque architecture and a not-to-miss museum displaying the Greek bronze statue of 'The dancing satyr'. The stunning Greek site of Selinunte is 30 minutes away by car, while Palermo, medieval Erice and the temples of Segesta and Agrigento are easy day trips.
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| Rental Period | Per Night | Per Week | Per Month | Min. Stay (Nights) |
| 2 July 2011 - 2 September 2011 | £2600 | 7 | ||
| 3 September 2011 - 28 October 2011 | £2200 | - | ||
| 29 October 2011 - 23 December 2011 | £1700 | - | ||
| 24 December 2011 - 4 May 2012 | £1900 | - | ||
| 5 May 2012 - 29 June 2012 | £2200 | - | ||
| 30 June 2012 - 31 August 2012 | £2600 | - | ||
| 1 September 2012 - 2 November 2012 | £2200 | - | ||
| 3 November 2012 - 21 December 2012 | £1900 | - |
Santa Rosalia sleeps 8 (4 bedrooms) Prices
| Rental Period | Per Night | Per Week | Per Month | Min. Stay (Nights) |
| 2 July 2011 - 2 September 2011 | £1260 | 7 | ||
| 3 September 2011 - 28 October 2011 | £1200 | 3 | ||
| 29 October 2011 - 23 December 2011 | £1100 | 3 | ||
| 7 January 2012 - 6 April 2012 | £1200 | 3 | ||
| 6 April 2012 - 4 May 2012 | £1600 | 3 | ||
| 5 May 2012 - 29 June 2012 | £1900 | 7 | ||
| 30 June 2012 - 31 August 2012 | £2200 | 7 | ||
| 1 September 2012 - 2 November 2012 | £1900 | 7 | ||
| 3 November 2012 - 21 December 2012 | £1600 | 3 |
Notes on prices
The prices above apply for groups of up to 6 people for Santa Maria, 8 people for Santa Rosalia. 2 more people may be accommodated in either villa for a charge of £50 per extra person per week.
For both villas there is a final cleaning charge of €30 per head (excluding infants), payable on arrival.
The swimming pools are open from end of May to end of October.
Both villas can be rented for shorter periods than a week outside high and peak seasons.
The two villa may also be rented together
Changeover day
Renting is usually Saturday to Saturday, but we can be flexible on this outside high and peak season.
Arrival time is after 4 pm and departure time by 10 am.
Again we can be flexible depending on the circumstances.
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Santa Rosalia sleeps 8 (4 bedrooms)
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Santa Rosalia has a separate entrance and garden. Front of house: pergola, table & chairs for 8. Ground floor: large sitting room with seating for 8, dining room seats 8. Large kitchen: table and seating for 6, fridge/freezer, gas hob, electric oven, dishwasher, microwave, coffeemaker, toaster, blender and juicer. Washing machine in a separate laundry outside the house. Bathroom 1 (ground floor): double basin, tub, shower unit, wc & bidet, marble tiling. Upstairs (with stair gate) :Main bedroom - queen size double bed, chest of drawers, a.c Bedrooms 2 & 4:twin beds, built-in wardrobes, a.c Bedroom 3: queen size double bed, built-in wardrobe, a.c. Bathroom 2: large tub, wall shower, basin, wc & bidet. Bathroom 3 walk-in shower, basin, wc & bidet. The whole house has been recently decorated and most of the furniture and equipment is new. Santa Rosalia now has its own pool measuring 6 x12 metres, surrounded by olive trees. The two properties are entirely separate. |
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Notes on accommodation
As Santa Maria is on the ground floor,it is suitable for elderly people or small children. Access to the pool is only through the courtyard and locked gate, so there is no danger of small children escaping to the pool unaccompanied.
Santa Rosalia is on two floors, separated from the grounds of Santa Maria by a patio and wall on one side and fence and gate on the other.
Santa Maria has central heating throughout. If used it is charged as an extra cost at €50 per day. There are also a.c./ heating units in the bedrooms. There is no extra charge for use of these.
Santa Rosalia also has a.c./ central heating in the bedrooms - no extra charge for use of these. There is a wood-fuelled convector fireplace in the living room.
Extra beds (max.2 in each house) charged at £50 extra per bed per week. 2 child's cots are available. Highchairs and baby bath are also available.
Rent of the studio annexe to Santa Rosalia is £250 per week.
Accessibility
We let only the ground floor of Santa Maria and this is easily accessible to wheelchair users.
Santa Rosalia is on two floors but a wheelchair user could rent the studio/bedroom which leads off the patio and is close to the ground floor bathroom.
The grounds of both villa are flat.
Outside
Santa Maria is set in 2 acres of grounds. The driveway is lined with date palms and bougainvillea. On each side are formal gardens, with a pine grove to the right and the tennis court to the left. Beyond the pine grove is a walk to a 16th century tower.
The swimming pool is in its own Mediterranean garden of hibiscus, oleander, bougainvillea, lavender and much more. Lined in white mosaic, it measures 12x6m and has steps into the shallow end. There are deck chairs for 8 and shade is provided by the nearby Saracenic olive tree and the gazebo. Beyond the pool garden is our olive grove. The tennis court is shared with the co-owners. We provide racquets. The orange grove adjoining the dining room is completely private. There is a portable barbecue. Santa Rosalia and gardens are separate from Santa Maria. It has its own 12 x 6 m. pool set in half an acre of garden with cypress, fruit and olive trees. There is a portable barbecue and patio with pergola for outdoor dining.
Coast/Beach
The nearest beach is 3 kilometres away, 10 minutes by car. The best beach, Tonnarella, 20 minutes away by car, is over one kilometre long with clean white sand. There are bars, deck chairs, beach brollies and paddle boats for hire in summer.
The coastline to the south is dotted with rocky inlets, ideal for swimming and diving. Further afield there is a wide range of sandy beaches of which the most famous is San Vito Lo Capo. There are windsurfing and kitesurfing facilities half an hour away.
Travel
As the property is in the the country, a car is essential. Palermo airport is about 110 kms, one hour by car, an easy drive by motorway. Birgi airport, Trapani, not on the motorway, is also about an hour's drive away
Most of the international car rental firms have desks at the airports. Alitalia runs several flights per day from Heathrow to Palermo, changing planes in Rome or Milan. Ryanair runs flights Stansted-Palermo and Luton-Trapani. EasyJet flies from Gatwick to Palermo in summer.
Distances
Mazara del Vallo is 3 kilometres away, 10 minutes by car.
Access to the motorway to Palermo is even closer.
The temples of Selinunte, near Castelvetrano are a 30 minute drive away, while it will take you 45 minutes to get to the temple and theatre of Segesta, off the motorway to Palermo.
You can get to the Phoenician island of Mozia in an hour and the medieval hilltop town of Erice in an hour and a half. To reach the magnificent Vale of Temples of Agrigento takes just under 2 hours.
Further details
There is abundant choice of places to eat in Mazara from sophisticated fish restaurants to child-friendly pizzerias. Local specialties are fresh tuna and swordfish, and couscous made with fish broth. The "dolci" available from local pastry shops are to die for. Don't leave Sicily without tasting cassata and cannoli both made with fresh ricotta. Sicilian ice cream has to be the best - after all the Sicilians invented it, didn't they? Try it the Sicilian way - sandwiched in a bun for breakfast. A lemon granita - sherbert ice - is a perfect way to combat the effects of the Sicilian sun in the height of summer- Fish straight out of the sea can be bought from the fish market but supermarkets sell it too. The local butchers are excellent and will make Sicilian sausage - fragrant with fennel seeds - before your eyes or prepare you involtini - beef slices stuffed with savoury breadcrumbs - ready for the barbecue.
Greengrocers and supermarkets sell fresh fruit and vegetables from local farmers available according to the season - huge round aubergines in summer, artichokes in winter and broad beans and asparagus in spring for example. But if you don't feel like shopping and cooking, we can arrange a catering service for you. As for wine, the local region produces more than any other in Italy. While we offer our guests 2 courtesy bottles from the Baglio dei Monaci, owned by members of the Manzo family, there is an excellent selection of local wines available at local wineshops at reasonable prices. Marsala is not just a sticky sweet drink. The wineries of Pellegrino and Florio produce high quality dry Marsala and offer wine tastings and guided tours of the factories. Apart from the cultural attractions in Mazara and neighbouring towns, there are good shops in the town centre offering hand made ceramics, local food produce and jewellery. Children will love the street fair held on the promenade in July and early August.
Booking notes
30% of the rent is paid on booking and the remainder 8 weeks before arrival. Cancellation fees:more than 56 days prior to arrival 30% of total rent, 14–56 days prior to arrival: 50% of total Rent; Less than 14 days prior to arrival: 100% of Rental Sum; A deposit of £300 against damages will be required for either villa. We provide beach towels and a welcome basket. There is a charge of €50 per day for central heating at Santa Maria and a cleaning charge of €30 per head at both villas.
Guest comments
"We enjoyed a memorable week in Sicily and would thoroughly recommend Santa Maria. We felt like privileged guests at a grand country home. Our only regret is not having more time to spend in the house itself as the weather was very good and so we spent most of the week exploring the many places of interest in North West Sicily. Our children loved Santa Maria especially the massive baths and squeezing their own orange juice for breakfast - from oranges they picked from the orange grove outside! We thought it a great base for exploring as well as being a luxurious haven for relaxing after one or two strenuous outings. A great introduction to a fascinating island."
We enjoyed a hugely relaxing week here, delighting in the spaciousness and comforts of this lovely house and the tranquillity of the gardens. We also had a great time in the pool. The Middleton family.
The house itself is ravishing. First and foremost everything works. It is decorated in a way that lends an air of comfort
Owner profile
Caroline with George in the courtyard, Santa Maria
About the owner
Caroline and Marcello have a strong connection with Sicily.
Marcello is Sicilian grew up at Santa Maria while Caroline is English and has been coming to Sicily every year for 35 years. She has even written a book about - Casa Nostra, A home in Sicily. Most of their married life has been spent in the tropics, mainly Brazil and Indonesia and their main residence is now in Milan.
Their elder daughter got married in Mazara and had her wedding reception at Santa Maria.
Both Caroline and Marcello are keen on gardening and they created the garden around the swimming pool from scratch in time for the wedding.
Marcello is an enthusiastic cook and barbecuer and Caroline an avid reader, which is why you will find both villas full of books.
Why the owner chose an apartment in this location
Marcello's grandfather bought Santa Maria (including the land on which Santa Rosalia is built) 100 years ago.
Ten years ago Marcello inherited the ground floor of Santa Maria from his mother, Maria. At the time it was very rundown so he and Caroline decided to renovate it completely, plant olive trees and convert an abandoned field into a Mediterranean garden with swimming pool.
A few years ago the opportunity arose to buy the adjoining prperty of Santa Rosalia.
We both love the area, not only for the connection to Marcello's family but also because the villa and grounds are so beautiful and quiet. It is a peaceful haven surrounded by vineyards where the only sound you will hear is the evening call of the resident hoopoe bird.
Unique benefits of the property
Guests at Santa Maria have a unique opportunity to stay in a historic villa over 400 years old with large shady grounds planted with mature trees, including date palms and ancient olive trees. A pine walk leads to a 16th century watchtower built as a lookout point for Sarcen raiders arriving by sea.
Both villas have very large gardens so plenty of space to wander about in. Both are an easy, quick drive away from the beach and only half an hour from the largest Ancient Greek archaeological site in the world - Selinunte.
Guests at both villas are looked after by Nanette, our sister-in-law, who lives on the upper floor of Santa Maria. She is very discreet but will step in to help if and when needed.
Both properties are very quiet, well away from the main road and both have complete privacy
For booking and further information
Property Ref IT2323
Caroline Seller Manzo
Tel/Fax: + 39 0248 017062
Mobile: (Italy) + 39 347 2503722
Owners Website: Click here
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Property Ref IT2323
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