Sunday,
February 24, 2008
Sicilians Claim to be Continent, Not Mere
Island, Because of Remarkable Varieties
Certainly
if I were to retire to Italy,
the choice of locales would be difficult. It might drive me to live in an RV
and just continually travel around the country, Well
of course I'd have a little Fiat
(and maybe a Vespa) in tow to navigate the narrow streets
of some small villages, or some mountain villages.
Yes, Tuscany is so rich in culture, and Venice
is so captivating, but Sicily
is a world of its own, and is now being discovered by Europeans and even
Northern Italians looking for second homes.
Sicily fascination has much
to do with its variety. Those varieties are of landscapes,
microclimates, gastronomic traditions, and heritages of culture because of its
history of Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans
and the Spanish.
In Sicily's
Sun, Real Estate is as Mixed as the Island Landscape
International Herald Tribune
By
Kate Singleton
Thursday, February 21, 2008
MODICA,
Sicily: When Sicilians
claim that their homeland is a continent, not an island, they are
not trying to redefine geography. They are simply drawing attention to the
remarkable variety of landscapes, microclimates, gastronomic traditions and
historical heritages to be found here.
Variety is also the distinguishing characteristic of the Sicilian property
market. Prices, which have been rising as much as 20 percent a year,
still seem reasonable, especially to north Europeans but even to Italians
from Milan and Turin. There are plenty of handsome
townhouses with frescoed ceilings, palaces with some original
furnishings, country villas surrounded by lemon groves, fortified farmsteads
and even the odd castle.
...You will find people courteous and welcoming and the quality of life
remarkably high.
"We had been mulling over buying in the South of France, then went to Sicily on holiday and thought, 'This
is it!,'
" said Deborah Greatorex, an interior designer
based in London.
"So we started looking on the Internet and found www.sicilianhomes.com,
which had just the right property for us."
"Angelo Campagna, who runs the agency with his
wife, is an architect of Sicilian origin who has worked in London," Greatorex
said. "Doing the place up with him has been exciting and relatively easy."
Greatorex paid 500,000, or $725,000, for a mid-19th
century villa with 3.6 hectares, or 9 acres, of land, including 365 olive trees
and a small vineyard. It is on the northeastern slopes of Mount
Etna, a short drive from either the sea or winter skiing on the
summit. An extensive restoration - including addition of a swimming pool, a
tennis court and a maze - has cost a little more than 500,000.
A reliable real estate agent is essential in Sicily. Properties for sale are not
always advertised; prices are not always declared; and the sellers
may be several heirs, some of whom have long been living abroad.
Sicilian Homes operates largely in the areas best known to visitors: Taormina
in the east, with the towns on Mount
Etna just behind it; and Cefaly, on the Tyrrhenian Sea
between Palermo and Messina.
In recent years Ortigia, the historic center of Syracuse on the southeast
tip, has joined the list of favored locations. A small island of great
antiquity and charm, it is linked to the mainland by a bridge and has been
revitalized by investment and renovation.
Ramsay Gilderdale handles properties from Syracuse through what is known as the Baroque Valley in
southeast Sicily: Ragusa, Modica,
Scicli and Noto, which
have acquired recognition as Unesco World Heritage
Sites for their gloriously ornate architecture.
After years in London as a successful actor and
screenwriter, Gilderdale decided in 2004 to settle in
Modica, where he has opened an agency that caters to
clients from the United States,
Britain, France, the Netherlands,
Scandinavia and
beyond. Real estate is offered at a wide range of prices on the site
www.modicasa.com, while properties over 1 million are listed at www.baroccoproperty.com.
"Half of the people who come to me are looking for a 200- to
300-square-meter country property with some land and a nice view, and about 20
percent for a townhouse," Gilderdale said. He
thinks this pattern of looking for 2,100 to 3,200 square feet of land may
change when a new airport opens at Comiso, a
30-minute drive from Modica. The airport is expected
to absorb the low-cost air service that now flies into Catania, plus other traffic.
"People investing in a second home for shorter visits throughout the year
don't always want land," Gilderdale said. "The towns around here are
eminently liveable. Many districts are pedestrian,
offer wonderful views and have shops and some excellent restaurants a 10-minute
walk away."
Gilderdale described the Sicilian property market as
"vibrant." Country and town properties are available for as little as
60,000, though for a building of particular architectural interest the starting
price is nearer 250,000.
For 500,000, he has a palazzo in Modica, part of
which has its original silk wallpapers, frescoed ceilings, ceramic flooring and
period furnishings, all in good condition.
Most of the less expensive properties need major rebuilding, which means
applying for permits. In addition, many places also require approval from both
a heritage commission and an organization of civil engineers that ensures
appropriate earthquake precautions are taken.
Gilderdale can introduce purchasers to a Sicilian
architect who has worked abroad and who speaks French, Spanish and English. The
architect's focus is on
energy-saving and environmentally sound materials, including the lovely pale
local stone.
Jeremy Smith, of www.sicilypropertyco.com, is part of a multilingual team that
includes an archaeologist, whose expertise in local history can be invaluable
during renovation.
Though based in Catania, Sicily
Property represents real estate across the island. Its current listings include
several farms overlooking the west coast. Known as a "baglio,"
such a property consists of a fortified house facing a shady courtyard. Beyond
the walls are vineyards, olive groves and pastures.
One such is Baglio Catalano, near Marsala. Built in the local tuff
stone, this grand complex features a main house with balconies overlooking a
52-hectare estate with 2,700 mature olive trees. Occupied until a few years
ago, it is on the market for 1.8 million.
Smith considers this western tip of the island ideal for those wishing
to invest in property on a grand scale - for a wine estate or with a view to
creating a boutique hotel. The airport at nearby Trapani
is served by Ryanair, Air One and Meridiana
and the main roads are good and toll-free.
He agrees with his colleagues, however, that the southeast, between Ragusa
and Syracuse,
is particularly promising. "If you like small towns with little
squares," he said, "then this is the area to go for.
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