Please contact the estate directly for more information, questions or requests.
Commenda di San Calogero
Sicily, Italy
Located north of Syracuse overlooking Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea, this beautifully kept estate covering 45,000ha and dominated by magnificent flowering trees and open green spaces offers calm and serenity for private events and for guestswith 12 comfortable double rooms and a pool.
History
In sixteenth to eighteenth-century sources, ‘San Caloiro’ is referred to as the location on the Pantacus river, so named by Ptolemy, Virgil and Ovid. A former feudal state, the Commenda of San Calogero takes its name from Saint Calogero who passed through these lands during the Byzantine period.
The commenda was founded between 1301 and 1309 by a Norman nobleman from the order of St. James of the Sword. After the earthquake of 1693 the commenda was largely restored. For centuries, the estate has belonged to the same family. The present owner Mrs. Pelli, originally from Naples, together with help from her architect son Andrea Matarazzo, lovingly renovated and restored her husband’s estate.
Her skills as a cook are second to none, combining Sicilian and Neapolitan traditional cooking styles. It is not unusual to have Mrs. Pelli as your companion as you stroll around the estate to share the historic secrets of the estate!
The Commenda di San Calogero is a grade I listed building due to its history, architecture and the presence of archaeological remains within the grounds and it is also a member of the association of Italian historic houses A.D.S.I.
Italian Garden
The Italian garden is a parterre that combines English flower meadows with Mediterranean plants and ancient roses. The rest of the garden has a more informal layout with all species traditionally present in Sicily. Berries and oranges grow among roses and officinalis; laurels and myrtle trees, together with fountains, bringing in a freshness on summer days.
Guestrooms
Whether you are on a business trip, in search of a longer holiday or a short escape, the Commenda di San Calogero is the dream place for a luxurious stay. 12 guest bedrooms, each painted and decorated in its own style with furniture and objects that have either been inherited or chosen with care in antique markets. All rooms have a private bathroom with bath and shower, satellite TV, mini-fridge and safe.
10 of the rooms are located in the main manor house with a fireplace, living room, library and former stables that now serve as the breakfast room/winter garden. The other 2 junior suites lie in a separate building surrounded by an aromatic garden close to the outdoor salt-water swimming pool and a SPA featuring a marble sauna.
Weddings, Yoga Retreats, Cooking courses and more.
Make your dream wedding come true in this fairy-tale location with a team on site to help out.
The peace and tranquility of the Commenda is also the perfect place to organise a yoga retreat, while a Sicilain cooking course is a must while you stay here! Contact the estate via email for more details.
Estate home products
The perfumes, the flavours, the colours of San Calogero and Sicily are preserved in the estate’s products. You can try orange blossom honey produced in the beehives located beside the citrus groves; extra virgin olive oil, cold pressed on the day it is harvested; chutneys; delicious marmalades thanks to all the citruses, prepared following old family recipes
It is also possible to order crates of citruses, which are harvested and packed the same day.
Nature sports, hunting & golf
Sicily’s varied landscape makes a dramatic first impression. This mixture of sea, volcanic and mountain scenery makes a stunning backdrop for outdoor activities. Hikers can walk along jaw dropping coastlines, climb active volcanoes and wander through mountain meadows. Divers and swimmers can enjoy some of the Mediterranean’s most pristine waters. Located only a pebble’s throw away from the shores of the Ionian Sea it is clear that any activity involving the salty seawater is highly recommended. Rent a boat and don’t forget to take enough Italian delicacies to last a while.
If golf is your sport you’re in luck. Le Saie Golfclub is just down the road, with vistas looking out on Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea. Hunters will also have their say between September and December.
Museums and historical sites
Outside the estate boundaries a large selection of museums can be found. The Fondazione Puglisi Cosentino is home to the foundation that is committed to promoting both ancient and contemporary art through exhibitions. The Museo Bellomo Siracusa houses a collection of Sicilian art (paintings, sculpture and decorative arts) dating back several centuries. Arguably the most noteworthy item in the collection is an Annunciation by Antonello da Messina.
Castello Ursino (‘Bear Castle’) is a castle in Catania. It was built in the 13th century as a royal castle of the Kingdom of Sicily, and is mostly known for its role in the Sicilian Vespers, when it became the seat of the Sicilian Parliament.
The Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi in Syracuse, is one of the principal archaeological museums of Europe. The museum contains artefacts from the prehistoric, Greek and Roman periods found in archaeological excavations in the city and other sites in Sicily. Syracuse is also known for the Orchio di Dioniso with its Greek theatre, and Ortigia which is an island closed to traffic.
The Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina is famous for its Roman mosaics. Catania is a must for culture vultures. Palaces, monasteries, churches, Greek and Roman theatres are found here. Catania overflows with historical sites and is beautifully located on the shores of the Ionian Sea.
“This earth, peopled with great things which human nations admire and love so much to see; this land, so rich in useful productions, and strong with a thick. bulwark of heroes.
“Lucretius, De Rerum Natura (On the Nature of Things)
Contact
Please contact the estate directly for more information, questions or requests.
Address
96011 Augusta (Siracusa)
Sicily
Italy