Property Description

Historic Apartment in Sicily’s Madonie Park, Next Door to the Best Panettone Bakery in the World!

Nestled inside a charming, ivy-covered courtyard in one of Sicily’s most storied and beautiful hillside towns, Bonomo Loft is a truly unique property. If you’re looking to purchase a Sicilian property that will put you at the heart of an authentic and quintessentially Sicilian community, this is the kind of thing you dream of.

Part of a timeless, 17th century property whose thick stone walls are as long as your arm, this is an apartment absolutely steeped in history. However,regular renovation and refurbishment over the centuries has made sure that you don’t have to sacrifice comfort for your slice of Sicilian folklore. Making excellent use of the space available, the modern apartment is on three levels, with entrances on each, a double bedroom, a single and potential to add even a third.

This historic apartment in Sicily is found at the heart of the beautiful medieval fortress town of Castelbuono, one of the most culturally-important towns of its size anywhere on the island of Sicily. In the magnificent natural surrounds of the Madonie Natural Park, this historic community is a hub of gastronomy, music and outdoor sports.

In the summer the courtyard outside comes to life as the location of a seasonal restaurant whose excellent traditional cooking is as affordable as it is mouth-watering.

Sold fully furnished, exactly as seen in our photos and videos, Bonomo Loft is a cosy, welcoming and unusual home waiting to help you make Sicily your new home in the most practical and convenient manner possible.

The Property

In a corner of the main courtyard, the brick-built structure of Bonomo has been erected against the sturdy masonry of the original complex, sharing two walls with the historic building. A total of 84m2 are divided between two floors, which are topped with some neat and well-maintained terracotta roof tiles. A neat little outdoor staircase leads up to the bedroom, while at ground level the entrance is directly into the long rectangular living space.

Finished with smooth cream plaster, featured brickwork around the windows and climbing plants which wind their way up the trellises and handrails of the property, Bonomo Loft blends in perfectly with the cobbles and stonework of the older building in whose shadow it stands.

The long living space is partitioned into three distinct areas. The first has a large window out on the house’s shorter side. This currently contains a sofa bed. It would be easy to close off the square archway which connects it from the next space, and thus create a second bedroom.

Through this currently open entrance you enter a dining room with a bookcase, a lovely antique dining suite and a smaller window. To your left is the bathroom, cheerily finished with and orange and blue tile frieze.

Finally you reach a large, wonderfully bright kitchen. The architecture here is particularly creative, perfectly tying the food preparation and smaller dining area into the historic courtyard with a fully glazed wall looking out onto a small but private terrace. With Sicily’s long sunny days, there is no better lighting solution than the natural one above, and this feature window makes full use of the elements to make certain this will become the favourite space of any purchaser. Exactly how a kitchen on this food-mad island ought to be!

Smart blue and white tiles frame the fitted oven, gas hob and powerful extractor fan, while hardwood beams, the wooden staircase and the double-storey ceiling above make the room feel especially rustic.

This staircase leads up to a pair of connected bedrooms – a single above the diving room, and then an unexpectedly spacious mezzanine right under the eaves where a double bed is found. This room is particularly full of character, with exposed stone walls dropping down to a wonderful pattered blue floor picked out in locally-produced ceramics underfoot.

Finally, there is a storeroom of 20m2, which it is not possible to see on the video. Outdoors you will have your own private parking space, so this room can be used to store outdoor furniture, tools, sports equipment… anything you can think of!

The house is predominantly heated by gas radiators, although a single air conditioning unit has been installed upstairs. Nearly 500m above sea level and with fantastic insulation from those thick walls, the property is protected from the stickiest excesses of Sicilian summer temperatures, but this unit can also be used an additional heating source in winter.

Surroundings

Since the 12th century, the settlement known today as Castelbuono has been settled by people drawn by its strategic location, fertile soil and wonderful panoramic views. The town really rose to prominence with the construction of the Castle Ventimiglia, construction of which began in 1317. This epic, commanding structure still towers above the town’s main piazza to this day. Every August this mystical setting proves a spectacular backdrop to the unique Ypsigrock music festival, attracting international acts of the calibre of Belle & Sebastian, Primal Scream and The Flaming Lips.

Just along one of the beautifully preserved cobbled streets that keep the little hilltop community feeling like a bridge to the past, you come to the Fiasconaro bakery on Piazza Margherita. This local institution, founded seventy years ago by a trio of brothers, is now recognised (and frequently awarded prestigious international prizes) as one of the finest producers in the world of the Italian Christmas fruit cake, panettone.

Other sights of note in the market town of around 8.000 inhabitants include several noteworthy churches, home to significant art works from the 15th and 16th centuries, and a museum of natural history. Besides the small supermarkets, grocery stores, fishmongers, butchers, chemists and other daily necessities you will find an array of local craftspeople producing woodwork, ceramics and some very stylish clothes.

Beyond the spectacular Madonie Park – a patchwork of Norman villages and mountainous forests with excellent opportunities for hiking, trekking and even snowsports in winter – lie the warm waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, with magnificent beach towns like the famous Cefalù, recently a major filming location for the latest Indiana Jones film and the second season of HBO’s The White Lotus. Palermo, with its bustling markets, grand architecture, legendary street food and world class restaurants, is just over an hour away by car. The volcanic archipelago of the Aeolian Islands lies just out to sea, visible on a clear day from the many viewpoints to be found in this dramatic hilly landscape.

Potential

No work is needed to renovate or restore this historic apartment in Sicily, which has been very well maintained. The only changes which could be made are decorative or to do with the use of spaces. As we mentioned previously, the little lounge area on the ground floor could become a guest bedroom; perhaps the single bedroom upstairs might be repurposed as a study or a second reception room to compensate for that change downstairs.

With the entire property already furnished you will be able to avoid many of the expenses of buying or shipping furniture, at least while you get settled in. The process of buying a house in Sicily could never be any easier or more stress free than it is here.

Bonomo Loft has been used as a very popular rental property on Airbnb in the recent past, something which could help you recoup some of your initial investment if you don’t plan on a full-time relocation. As ever, the trademark, concierge-style after-sales support offered by Property in Sicily is here to help, whether you need someone to take care of changing your residency, changing over utility suppliers or even managing your new rental investment.

Whatever you imagine for your future on our friendly island, or for Bonomo Loft, we’re here to help every step of the way. Talk to our friendly, multilingual team today for more details about this historic apartment in Sicily.