Centurion Middle East Summer 2022

“WE HAVE IT ALL –

“WE HAVE IT ALL – SUN, SOIL AND SOUL” pasticcerie (stop for a sweet pick-me-up at La Martorana, fb.com/lamartorana.palermo). Explore La Cala, Palermo’s spruced-up fishing port and the medieval Castello a Mare, then stroll through the Kalsa quarter, where the recent renewal of dilapidated buildings (bombed during the Second World War) has attracted artsy boho cafes and an association of local artisans and artists. You’ll find jewellery at Piccola Fabrica ( fb.com/ piccolafabrica), unusual stationery at Edizioni Precarie (edizioniprecarie.it) and colourful handwoven Sicilian straw baskets at Torretta Vito (Via Aragona, 15). For an aperitivo or dinner, head to nearby Pablo’s Ristorante Lounge Bar (pablos-ristorante-lounge-bar.business.site), where chef Paolo Romano dishes up refined creative dishes with the freshest ingredients. Another culinary newcomer is MEC (Meet Eat Connect, mecpalermo.it), a combined restaurant and tech museum housed in the beautifully revamped 16th-century Palazzo Castrone-Santa Ninfa near Palermo Cathedral. Born of a quirky concept between architect, collector and founder, Giuseppe Forello (who owns over four thousand vintage Apple pieces) and chef Carmelo Trentacosti, guests dine alongside memorabilia and some 200 computer antiques. The exquisitely prepared neo-Sicilian cuisine includes computer-nerd signature dishes: a bitten-apple-shaped mould filled with tangy caponata and a ricotta cassata dessert in the shape of Steve Jobs’s face. Hidden away in an alley next to the bustling food market Capo is Le Angeliche (leangeliche.it), a cosy bistro with a backyard outdoor terrace run by four young women. “We’re cousins!” explains self-taught chef Veronica Schiera, who spent a year travelling all around Sicily to collect grandmothers’ recipes. “Our goal is to preserve the memory of old flavours.” Her motto: taste over aesthetics. The everchanging menu of delectable slow-cooked comfort food includes green ravioli filled with sardines, creamy caciotta cheese, raisins and pine nuts, topped off with a pistachiostudded orange-mousse chocolate cake. “Sicily is blessed with an amazing biodiversity,” Schiera muses. “We have it all – sun, soil and soul.” And visitors are inclined to agree. Earthy or glitzy, Palermo’s prized heritage is ready for its close-up. ¬ From top: the Nautoscopio, an interactive installation by Giuseppe Amato in Palermo’s harbour; Sicilian cassata, made with ricotta, candied fruit and almond paste; the postcardperfect coast off the Palerman commune of Cefalù 58 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM

VILLA CONFIDENTIAL PHOTOS FROM TOP: © THE THINKING TRAVELLER, FRANCIS AMIAND (2), PUCCI SCAFIDI icily is a land of extremes and contrasts, a magnification of all things Italian,” says Rossella Beaugié, who founded The S Thinking Traveller, a bijou collection of luxe properties in Italy and Greece, in 2002 with her husband, Huw. A native Sicilian, Beaugié is a passionate advocate of her homeland, extolling the “wonderful climate that makes the island visitable all year round. And there’s always something to do, whether it be lounging on golden beaches, hiking in the mountains, visiting ancient archaeological sites, exploring the numerous historic towns and villages, skiing on Mount Etna or shopping in Palermo’s fashionable boutiques.” Here, she shortlists some of her favourite properties in Sicily. thethinkingtraveller.com Iddu, Salina, the Aeolian Islands For splendid isolation, away from it all, Iddu is the perfect retreat on Salina. I love the typical Aeolian architecture, the extensive terraces looking out across the sea to the islands of Panarea and Stromboli, the luxuriant, exotic gardens, the spacious kitchen, where you can cook with a view, and the super-cute kids’ bedroom. It is hidden away from the world and yet within easy strolling distance of the excellent restaurant and spa of the Capo Faro Resort. Rocca delle Tre Contrade, Santa Venerina I’ve yet to find a more inspiring pool than Rocca delle Tre Contrade’s: L-shaped, 25m-long, and with several infinity edges, it is oriented so that swimmers can do laps between the sea and Mount Etna. Surrounded by lemon orchards, whose blossom perfumes the air, this awe-inspiring, magnificently appointed villa offers space galore, a pampering team of staff, including cook, plus a tennis court, a spa and a gym: all you could possibly desire for a truly memorable milestone celebration. › From top: the idyllic pool area at Baglio della Luce in Scicli; alfresco dining and a delightfully eclectic living room at Rocca delle Tre Contrade; Rossella and Huw Beaugié CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 59