Mascalucia, Catania, Sicily, Italy

The Property
This spacious detached villa stands in a quiet residential area of Mascalucia, away from through traffic. It has 450 m² of living space over 2 floors plus a walk-in attic and a basement taverna, set in large private grounds. It was built in 1985, and the systems and exterior were renovated a few years ago.

Interior
Ground floor
- Entrance hall
- Large triple living room with fireplace, marble floors and decorative ceiling cornices
- Traditional built-in kitchen
- Sitting room that can be used as a 4th bedroom
- Bathroom

First floor (via marble staircase)
- Landing lounge area
- Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom
- 2 further bedrooms
- Family bathroom with bath and shower
- All rooms open onto terraces and balconies wrapping around the villa, with sea views on one side

Attic
- Walk-in attic reached by an internal marble staircase

Basement
- Taverna, ideal as a wine and preserves store or a relaxation room

Exterior
A gated, hedge-lined driveway leads to the villa, with a single garage and 5 private parking spaces. Paved courtyards and terraces surround the house. On the upper level of the grounds is an annex with a traditional built-in kitchen, a stone pizza oven and large windows, perfect for summer entertaining. There is also a separate laundry room. The garden is generous and very private, with a manicured lawn, mature trees, palms, fruit trees and a vegetable plot, all enclosed by tall hedges.

Location
Mascalucia is a sought-after residential town on the lower southern slopes of Mount Etna, just north of Catania. It sits higher than the city, so summers are noticeably cooler, and it has everyday shops, restaurants and services. You can drive up into Etna Park for hiking. The Etna DOC vineyards are close by, and Catania's baroque centre, markets and beaches are a short drive away.

Distances (approx.)
- Nicolosi and the Etna Park gateway: 5 km, 10 minutes
- Catania city centre: 12 km, 20 minutes
- Ionian coast (Aci Castello, Aci Trezza): 15 km, 25 minutes
- Etna Sud / Rifugio Sapienza: 30 km, 40 minutes
- Taormina: 60 km, 1 hour
- Siracusa and Ortigia: 80 km, 1 hour 10 minutes

Flights
Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA) is about 20 km away, roughly 30 minutes by car. easyJet, British Airways and Wizz Air fly direct from London Gatwick in about 3 hours, and several other UK airports have direct or seasonal services. From the USA, Delta runs seasonal direct flights from New York JFK in around 10 hours. There are also year-round connections via Rome and Milan.

Energy rating: Class E