Trapani holiday villa rental, Mazara del Vallo with private pool, private tennis court, log fire, disabled access, balcony/terrace

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Santa Maria (villa)

Home description

Santa Maria is a 17th century fortified Sicilian farmhouse with high walls, castellation and towers to keep out pirates and brigands. It has a chequered history ranging from the Knights of Malta to the Mafia.There is even an ancient watchtower in the grounds. Surrounded by vineyards, this romantic castle-like villa has 3 acres of gardens with olive trees, pines, cypress trees, bougainvillea, jasmine and date palms. While the accommodation is beautifully decorated and extremely comfortable, outside there is a stunning pool for the exclusive use of guests, set in its own exotic garden with a gazebo. The newly renovated tennis court is now ready for guests to use.

Entrance to the villa is through a huge wooden door. The atmospheric courtyard with its high walls covered with jasmine, the marble well and terracotta statue of Bacchus will take you back in time, at least a century or two.

A side view of the villa	The swimming pool and garden
Dining terrace in the orange grove	View from the orange grove

To see more photos please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/62516

The Sicily region

Sicily is an exceptional place to visit for its unique combination of sunny climate and beautiful landscape and coastline. The summers are long, hot and dry, starting in May and lasting until October when it is still possible to swim. But this Mediterranean island is not only about sun and sea. Sicily has a long and fascinating history involving Phoenician, Greek and Roman settlements followed by Arab, Norman, German, French and Spanish occupation. Even the British took over for a while in the nineteenth century.

This means that there is an enormous amount of sightseeing to do for those who are curious. Santa Maria is very well placed for sightseeing as we are close to the marvellous ruins of the Greek city of Selinunte, the Greek theatre and Temple of Segesta, the Phoenician island of Motya, the historical city of Marsala, famous for its wine, and the medieval hilltop town of Erice, not to mention the attractions of Mazara itself.

But if sightseeing is not your thing, you can still partake of Sicily's cultural heritage by eating Sicilian food and drinking Sicilian wine. The province of Trapani, which includes Mazara, produces more wine than any other region in Italy. We can direct to you to local wine producers for winetasting sessions and you will receive samples of local wine produced by Il Baglio dei Monaci, members of the Manzo family.

As for food, be prepared to go on a diet when you get back but don't miss out on delicacies such as caponata - sweet and sour vegetables, involtini stuffed with spicy breadcrumbs, melanzane all parmigiana and fennel flavoured sausage.

Trapani / Mazara del Vallo area

Mazara,Italy’s major fishing port, has a charming promenade lined with palm trees and three piazzas in the historic centre graced with beautiful baroque churches and civic buildings - even the remains of a Norman castle. Don't miss the beautiful bronze statue of a dancing satyr, a masterpiece of Greek art housed in a dedicated museum. The town offers a wide range of shops and excellent restaurants, where you can savour the freshest seafood and fish, not to mention the delights of Sicilian traditional fare from fish couscous to the mouth-watering delicacies of cassata and cannoli. Our favourite restaurants are La Bettola for its superb fish dishes and Caffé Garibaldi for its wide and varied menu of Sicilian antipasti.

There is a long and beautiful coastline with both sandy beaches and rocky coves where the sea is exceptionally limpid. In July and August the nearby beach of Tonnarella offers the facilities of bars with deckchairs and beach umbrellas to rent. Further afield, a half hour drive away the beach of Granitola offers watersports such as windsurfing and kite surfing while the famous white sands of San Vito Lo Capo and the nature reserve of Lo Zingaro are only an hour's drive away

How to get there

Fly to Palermo with one of the following airlines:
Alitalia has several flights a day Heathrow - Palermo and back but not direct. It involves a change of flight in Milan or Rome.
Ryanair has two flights per day Stansted - Palermo and back. and also Luton to Trapani and back.
Easyjet runs two flights a day Gatwick- Palermo amd back in summer - mid-June to September.
From Palermo airport it is a very easy drive to Mazara del Vallo, our nearest town. It takes under and hour on the motorway which is clearly signposted. We send a map with precise directions once the booking has been made.
All the major car hire firms have desks at Palermo airport. We recommend Hertz.
If guests would like to be picked up at the airport and rent a car locally instead of from the airport, we can arrange this.

Activities near Trapani

Facilities

Further details indoors:
Entrance to the ground floor is via the courtyard. Inside you will find spacious living rooms, a dining room with tiled fireplace and a large study, all beautifully decorated and opening into the orange grove. Families will enjoy the study with a large range of English books, including children's' books and a selection of board games.

The two main bedrooms are very large, both with space for an extra bed while the third has its own separate tv room. All four bathrooms are colourfully decorated in Sicilian tiles or mosaic. The most stunning is the Moroccan bathroom, adjacent to the tv room with its tiled bath and shower. The kitchen is exceptionally well equipped - confirmed by former guests who were professional cooks.

Further details outdoors:
Santa Maria is set in three acres of grounds, giving you plenty of space and in a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. The only noise you will hear will be birdsong, probably our resident hoopoe who does get vocal most evenings.
You will love our beautiful pool, lined in white mosaic tiles,12 by 6 metres with steps into the shallow end. For shade just retire beneath the Saracenic olive tree or the gazebo, covered with the passion fruit vine.
Our private tennis court is surrounded by cypress and pine trees while al fresco dining is on the terrace in the private orange grove, where you can sit under the stars and revel in exotic Sicilian nights.

Further details

We give you a welcome pack for your first breakfast plus 2 bottles of excellent wine produced by the owners' family and a box of tennis balls! We can also lend you racquets for adults and children.
The swimming pool is open from late May to the end of September but this period can be extended by arrangement.
The gardens in front of the villa are shared with Silvio and Nanette, the co-owners and caretakers, who occupy the upper floor, but the walled orange grove and the large gazebo gardens with swimming pool are for the exclusive use of guests.
Nanette, who is English-speaking will be there to meet you, whatever time you arrive.
She will also do a food shop for you in advance if you plan to arrive at night.

Conditions

Secure your booking with a down payment of 30%, the balance to be paid 8 weeks before arrival.
No extra charges - We do not ask you for a deposit against damages
We do not charge you for cleaning
We provide a light clean and a change of linen and towels once a week
Catering and extra cleaning can be arranged if required.

Rental rates

Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
Peak season	4 Jul 09	5 Sep 09	2400£ 2,400	0-	0-	1 Week
High season	5 Sep 09	3 Oct 09	1900£ 1,900	0-	0-	1 Week
Mid season	3 Oct 09	7 Nov 09	1400£ 1,400	0-	0-	1 Week
Low season	7 Nov 09	19 Dec 09	1200£ 1,200	0-	0-	1 Week
Christmas/New Year	19 Dec 09	2 Jan 10	1600£ 1,600	250250	300300	3 Nights
Low season	2 Jan 10	27 Mar 10	1300£ 1,300	200200	250250	3 Nights
Easter	27 Mar 10	3 Apr 10	1700£ 1,700	0-	0-	1 Week
Mid season	3 Apr 10	22 May 10	1500£ 1,500	0-	0-	1 Week

The property's weekend rates apply to: Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.

The villa is ideal for 6 people but we can accommodate 2 more on extra beds, either in one of the main bedrooms or in the tv room or study. The charge for extra guests (up to 2) is £100 per person per week.

We do not charge for cleaning but we would ask you to leave the property in the same condition in which you find it.

If you wish to use the swimming pool outside peak and high season period, there will be an extra charge of £250 per week.

Because central heating is phenomenally expensive, f you use it there will be an extra charge of €50 per day payable to the caretaker when you leave.

If you use the land line for anything other than local calls you should settle up with the caretaker before you leave.

Guestbook for Santa Maria

I have stayed at Santa Maria a number of times over the last 6 years. I return because I adore Sicily and am spellbound by the house and its environs. The house is maintained to a very high standard. It is quietly luxurious and it really is like stepping into your own home. The pool and the tennis court are a fantastic bonus and sitting in the orange grove in the evening with the coloured lanterns lit and the fountain splashing in the background is sheer heaven. Tom Aslanian, 2007

The villa is stunning and we have alternated restful days by the beautiful pool with outings to fascinating places: Selinunte and Trapani, Erice etc. and evenings spent wandering around Mazara, where the girls restocked their jewellery boxes at the market.
The Pindell family 2006

Enjoyed a hugely relaxing week here, delighting in the spaciousness and comforts of this lovely house and the tranquillity of the gardens. We also had a great time in the pool..
The Middleton family 2006

A constellation of stars. All is magnificent..
David Lumley 2006

From some younger guests 2006:
The villa is wonderful, one of the nicest places I’ve ever stayed at. It feels like the time has flied by and I wish we could stay longer. Particular highlights of my Sicilian holiday were the Greek temples of Selinunte and the fab ceramic shops in Sciacca.
Thank you for a wonderful holiday. Loved the pool and tennis!!
Laura Lumley

Thank you very much for the fabulous holiday here! I really enjoyed the stay including the fantastic pool! The week was unforgettable .I admired the house. The marble floors were extremely elegant. The showers were great too, especially the blue tiled one. Whilst I was staying here in Santa Maria, I often thought to myself how similar it was to staying in a palace (not that I’ve ever stayed in a palace!)..
Lalage Lumley

Availability

See below for next 9 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here

Send Enquiry

To contact this advertiser please visit: http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/62516

Contact details for the advertiser of home 62516
Name:	Caroline Manzo
Tel:	+39 02 48017062
Mobile:	+39 3472503722
Be aware of time-zones Please mention Holiday Lettings when contacting this advertiser
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Contact Notes: By telephone evenings or email
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Advertiser joined: Jul 2008