Five days for five senses to get to the heart of Sicily.
BOOK YOUR EXPERIENCE
Eastern Sicily
An island that fills your eyes, caresses your ears, envelops you with its smells, makes you feel what it is made of, and finally floods you with flavours.
From Catania to Ragusa Ibla by way of Syracuse, Modica and Noto. Five experiences in a single Experience, each dedicated to the five senses: a sensory journey to explore the essential, intimate and fundamental nature of Sicily.
THE TOUR. THE VILLA OF COLOURS
Draped in bougainvillea, Tenute Mannino’s Tenuta del Gelso with its 52 hectares of citrus groves and century-old wisteria is pure joy to behold. Its 19th-century plasterwork mottled with drippings from marc, the colourful views and the evocative vistas excite your gaze, telling a story spanning more than two hundred years.
THE SENSE OF HEARING. THE VOICE OF THE HYPOGEUM
Enter the catacombs that house the tomb of the martyr saint and patron of Syracuse, where the ancient mysteries of Christian rites continue to echo. In the darkness of a stone labyrinth, the persuasive timbre of an actor’s voice will resonate as if coming from the centre of the earth in a very intense sound show exclusively dedicated to Treccani Esperienze guests.
THE SENSE OF SMELL. THE GAME OF FRAGRANCES
On the first floor of the house museum of the ancient Modica family, the last of the descendants, Alessandro, will accompany you to the imperial table to experience an extraordinary sensory game. With your eyes covered by a blindfold, you will have to recognise the ingredients and the spices that will be passed under your nose before becoming the basis of the dinner menu: a triumph of aromas reflecting all the cultural, historical and gastronomic richness of the Mediterranean.
THE SENSE OF TASTE. A DAY WITH A CHEF
Take a stroll with Alessia Liistro, a chef and Syracuse’s first historical fishmonger, among the colourful and noisy market stalls. Here you can personally choose all the ingredients for your lunch, just as the great chefs do. Next, in a beautiful outdoor courtyard in the heart of Ortigia, you will learn, together with the chef, how to prepare the most original menus with the flavours of Sicily: your own.
THE SENSE OF TOUCH. THE CRAFTSMAN’S TOUCH
Enter Cinabro, the sanctuary of craftsmanship where the secrets of Sicilian cart painting and restoration are passed on. In the workshops where the island’s icon once again shines with its painted stories and bright colours, under the guidance of master carvers, you will enjoy an extraordinary tactile experience by touching the different stages that transform wood into art.
The sky over Catania
Visit to the Badia di Sant’Agata with a panoramic tour around the church dome. To embrace Catania’s Baroque historical centre and its monuments at a glance.
A Sicilian Baroque gem
Lose yourself in the Sicilian Baroque rooms, among the frescoed halls, decorated floors and sumptuous furnishings of Palazzo Biscari, together with the owner Ruggero Moncada Paternò Castello.
Neapolis archaeological park
During your visit to the Neapolis archaeological park, you will be taken on a journey through nature that tells the oldest stories of the city of Syracuse.
The Chocolate Gardens
In the Orti di San Giorgio, the seven gardens on the steps of San Giorgio Cathedral in Modica, you can savour a moment of pure sweetness with a tasting of Sabadì chocolate.
THE EXPERIENCE INCLUDES
- One night in a 5-star hotel in the historic centre of Catania
- Three nights in a historic 4-star hotel in the heart of Ortigia
- Private visits and tastings in exclusive settings
- Guided tours of places of cultural interest in Catania, Noto and Syracuse
- Dedicated on-site travel assistant