How I Hiatus: Sicily

Nov 21

Written By Sael Bartolucci

View of Mt. Etna in the Hood robe, by Sael Bartolucci

“October is a perfect month to travel Sicily, the big crowds have died down and yet the weather is still lovely and warm.”

—Sael Bartolucci, Founder of House of Hiatus

The Voyage…

View of Mt. Etna from Villa Azzurra, by Sael Bartolucci

The next stop in my Italian voyage was Sicily. This was not my first time on the Southern island and I was happy to return to the eastern coast again, where I met up with my family and stayed a week in a very special home in between Siracusa and Catania.

We found a beautiful home facing Mt. Etna on the Think Traveller. Villa Azzurra was the ideal base camp for a few daily road trips to the city of Catania, the inland town of Noto and of course the ancient gem of Ortigia.

Catania

Benedictine Monastery of San Niccolò, by Sael Bartolucci

The city of Catania is small enough to cover in one day by foot, preferably getting lost in the streets up by the Benedictine Monastery.

Catania’s highlight is its boisterous, colorful, and gritty produce and fish market, La Pescheria. Here you will get a proper introduction to Sicilian lifestyle. The city is small enough to cover in one day by foot, preferably getting lost in the streets up by the Benedictine Monastery, a jewel of the late Sicilian Baroque, founded in 1558. We stopped for a quick coffee granita and classic cannolo al pistacchio pastry in Piazza del Duomo at the famous Prestipino café.

Cannolo at Prestipino, by Sael Bartolucci

Marzipan candy at Prestipino, by Sael Bartolucci

One of the best meals we had on the entire trip was at ristorante Il Bell’Antonio, inspired by the homonymous film featuring Marcello Mastroianni and Claudia Cardinale. Here we had orange salad with anchovies, seafood risotto and catch of the day cooked in salt, then cracked at the table for us to see!

We picked up local fish and vegetables every day in the little town of Brucoli, as the economy is mostly based on fishing and agriculture, we took advantage of the “farm to table” opportunity to eat sustainably.

We also came across very unique ceramics by Giovanni De Simone which were a little more playful than traditional Sicilian ones and inspired by folk stories and by artists of the like of Picasso, Matisse, Leger and Klee.

Santa Agata, Patron Saint of Catania, by Sael Bartolucci

The List

La Pescheria Fish Market
Piazza Alonzo di Benedetto, 95131 Catania CT, Italy

Benedictine Monastery
Piazza Dante Alighieri, 32, 95124 Catania CT, Italy

Prestipino for granita and cannolo
Piazza del Duomo, 1, 95124 Catania CT, Italy

Ceramics by De Simone sold by Ossidiana
Via Pasubio, 41b, 95127 Catania CT, Italy

Noto & Ortiga

Chiesa di Santa Lucia alla Badia, Ortigia, by Sael Bartolucci

Noto was easily toured in one afternoon with Corso Vittorio Emanuele connecting one end to the other in less than a 15 minute walk.

Ortigia on the other hand is worthy of a few days stay. With its position, Castello Maniace, the waterfront stone fortress dating to 1233, is the most underrated attraction in town. Of course the exquisitely baroque Piazza del Duomo, possibly one of the most charming squares in Europe, is the perfect coffee and people watching stop. And finally Ortigia’s street market: this absolute gem is begging for you to get lost in its back alleys and purchase everything in sight!

Fritto Misto at Ristorante al Castello, Brucoli, by Sael Bartolucci

Prickly Pear fruit, sold at Ortigia’s market, by Sael Bartolucci

Spices at Ortigia’s market, by Sael Bartolucci

October is a perfect month to travel Sicily, the big crowds have died down and yet the weather is still lovely and warm. As Italians do, we enjoyed a few days of vitamin D and took time to slow down, read, talk, laugh and gaze at Mt. Etna’s never ending pillar of smoke.