Holiday home Villa FO

Only at night, when Villa FO is illu­mi­nated, does the building become visible, blending into the land­scape of rocky tuff and Medi­ter­ranean scrub across the hills of Avola, between the Iblei Moun­tains and the Medi­ter­ranean Sea. This unusual holiday home is the work of the inter­na­tio­nally renowned Milan-based archi­tec­tural firm Fon­da­menta, which cap­ti­vates not only through its expe­ri­mental design lan­guage of static and dynamic wind­breaks, but also through its har­mo­nious con­nection to the Sicilian land­scape.

Yet Villa FO is far more than just a holiday home: as a central com­ponent of the ‘Expe­ri­mental Hill’ project – a visionary initiative aimed at trans­forming and revi­ta­lising derelict cul­tural land­scapes – it blends the native vege­tation of almond, olive and citrus trees with modern struc­tures to create ‘land­scape infra­struc­tures’. The archi­tecture acts as a con­necting element that respects the natural mor­phology of the site whilst simul­ta­neously creating new habitats. In keeping with this phi­lo­sophy, Villa FO, with its irre­gular shape, nestles into the rocky terrain as if it were part of it. From the street, the building presents itself as a single-storey com­po­sition of frag­mented ele­ments that rise towards the sea to form a three-storey structure including a pool terrace.

Guests are greeted by a ‘floating’, monu­mental beam made of golden-yellow Noto stone (the tra­di­tional building material of eastern Sicily, which was also used in the recon­s­truction of the late Baroque towns) and a large, curved con­crete wall that leads them inside. Here, the interplay of the walls con­tinues. A cross-shaped stone wall forms the central heart of the house, struc­turing both the floor plan and the two stag­gered levels: a lower-level private sleeping area with four bed­rooms for up to eight people and a ground-level open-plan living area. Every room opens onto full-height windows, most of which can be opened to bring nature inside and extend the living space out­wards.

The raw mate­rials – Noto stone for walls and floors and Modica stone in the bath­rooms – emphasise the regional identity and create a warm, earthy aes­thetic. Com­bined with mini­malist, tim­eless fur­nis­hings. Covered ter­races with views of the sea and moun­tains, a long, sleek swimming pool and a solarium com­plete the offering, com­bining comfort with the peace and seclusion of nature.

What to do

Hiking and cycling in the Monti Iblei, swimming in the pool and the sea (various beaches are around a 15-minute drive away), a visit to the Baroque towns of Noto, Scicli, Modica and Ragusa Ibla, which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, trips to Syracuse or the Vendicari nature reserve, Cava Grande and the Pantalica Gorge, day trips to Mount Etna, Taormina or Agrigento, as well as relaxing, reading and cooking together

Why we like this house

Exceptional architecture in close harmony with the Sicilian landscape – serene, deliberate and of timeless elegance.

This house is great for

Families, couples and friends who are interested in distinctive architecture, stunning natural scenery and the cultural treasures of the Val di Noto

Sustainability

Part of the transformation and revitalisation of derelict cultural landscapes, photovoltaic systems

Details

Availability calendar

The calendar shows the current availability of the accommodation. On days with white background the accommodation is still available. On days with dark gray background the accommodation is not available.

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