Property Description

Twin Sea-view Apartments in Collesano; One Ready to Move Into, the Other for Renovation

Two properties in one, Palazzo Sarrica comprises a pair of two-bedroom apartments, and two adjacent storerooms.

The larger apartment is completely ready to occupy; a split-level home on three storeys with balconies to the front and side, and superb sea views. The smaller apartment is a renovation project; a little smaller and with balcony to the front.

The luminous and characterful property is found in one of the most beautiful locations in the picturesque Madonie village of Collesano. 10Km from the heart of Sicily’s northern Tyrrhenian Coast, less than a twenty minute drive from the beach and just half an hour from stunning Cefalù, it lies in the foothills of the fabulous Madonie Natural Park.

The terraced Piazza Garibaldi is found at the northern end of the welcoming hilltop town, close to the historic centre and the partly-ruined Norman castle around which Collesano originally grew. Corso Vittorio Emanuele is the main thoroughfare of the community, and at the head of this, overlooking the church of San Giacomo Apostolo, and directly opposite this, is Palazzo Sarrica.

The historic building has a beautiful location, sensational views to the rear and incredible potential. It could become a single four-bedroom home or a lovely guest house. More simply, one of the properties could eventually be sold to finance the purchase of the other.

Let’s take a closer look at these sea-view apartments in Collesano.

The Property

Next to a wide alleyway and open to the front – and, on the second floor, to the rear – the main apartment of Palazzo Sarrica is an end-terrace property with only a single party wall to the south. This is found in very good condition throughout, with a recent renovation having brought both wiring and plumbing up to certified standards.

The single fronted, three storey building is clad in rough plaster which covers a mix of masonry and brickwork. The latter is particularly visible on the side wall of the second floor.

At street level, and on the first floor, the footprint of the property is tiny, a single small room and a stairwell to the right. On the ground floor a little reception room receives natural light through the glass panes of the twin front doors.

On the first floor, a living room is currently in use as a study. These are linked by a fairly steep flight of thirteen marble-topped stairs with a hardwood handrail mounted directly onto the wall. The first floor living room benefits from a well-sized balcony opening onto the main street outside. The area is a quiet one, and this is more a window onto the friendly life of Collesano than it is a source of noise. The street runs north-south, meaning that sunshine arrives on the balcony in the afternoon. Each of these two rooms have floors in traditional ceramic tile.

The same staircase leads up to the second floor, where the guest bedroom is currently in use as a lounge area. This has an identical balcony, with a view of the historic church, piazza and high street which is only improved by the added elevation. Here the floor is in a warmer terracotta, echoing the rooftops which are now partly on display. This continues to the rear portion of the top floor, as does the exposed beams of the oak roof, combining to create a warm, homely impression.

This rear area now extends beyond the compact footprint of the lower floors, stretching right to the rear of the building. On the way it takes in a fairly large dining room and then a kitchen with twin side-facing balconies.

These offer amazing views, especially the one in the kitchen whose almost unobstructed panorama takes in the ruins of the town’s medieval castle, the roofs of houses further down the hill, the green valley laid out beneath Collesano, the 800m-high plateau of the nearby Montedoro hill, and, last but not least, the sea. 10km downhill, just beyond the coastal town of Campofelice di Roccella, this is in clear view and contrasts perfectly with the rich greens of the hillsides and the lighter blue of the cloudless Sicilian sky.

Other large windows in the kitchen and the master bedroom offer the same breathtaking view, stretching out to the horizon. Indeed, you would only need to sit up in bed first thing in the morning to take it all in. It’s a really thrilling sight and amply justifies the price being asked for Palazzo Sarrica.

The home is completed by a small bathroom between the master bedroom and the kitchen, with a half-size tub and shower attachment. You can even enjoy that sea view while you brush your teeth!

The home is well heated, thanks to a combination of gas radiators and modern two-way air conditioning units. As well as the cool breeze that winds its way through Collesano thanks to the the town’s position 600m above sea level, this guarantees a comfortable stay throughout even the highest temperatures of Sicily’s hot summer.

The windows are in good condition, wooden and with double glazing. The internal doors and trim are in varnished wood, and the fixtures are all in very good condition. The roof has recently been redone and our survey identified no structural issues or problems with the property’s documentation.

The second of the sea-view apartments in Collesano is a different case entirely. Almost everything here will need to be redone, from the walls and ceilings to the electricity and water fittings. There is a good skeleton, however, with a  high-ceilinged living room opening onto a street-view balcony, two bedrooms and the space to create a kitchenette. There are some nice original floor tiles which could be preserved.

The vendor would like to clear the premises before allowing us to create a video of this smaller home, but some photos are available in the gallery above. If you are interested in making an offer on the property than please contact us and we can certainly arrange a viewing, either in person or virtually.

Last but not least, the pair of storerooms adjacent to the apartments offer enough room to house bikes, tools, or a little wine cellar.

Surroundings

Collesano is one of our top picks for value investments in Sicily, and you can take a look at our 2024 deep dive into the town for all the information you could need about this hilltop gem. From the point of view of an international buyer, the greatest strengths the welcoming community has to offer are its proximity to some lovely sandy beaches, the superb views, its proximity to Cefalù and to Palermo, where you will find the nearest airport, and the diverse and active international community.

This last element is not to be underestimated at all. While other villages of the Madonie Park may be able to offer similar scenery and equally convenient access to the sunny beaches and picturesque country trails of the region, none can boast the same kind of multilingual social life which Collesano has to offer. Recent arrivals from the US, UK, France, Germany and Scandinavia have created a thriving scene which includes casual coffee mornings, family barbecues and group festivities. If you are not yet a fluent Italian speaker, this is our top recommendation for a small town in Sicily where you can make friends and enjoy an active social life while you get to grips with the language.

Piazza Garibaldi is not just an aesthetic backdrop, but within easy walking distance of all Collesano’s amenities, including bars, pizzerias, grocery shops and a supermarket. For all of your less day-to-day needs, the larger towns of Campofelice and Lascari are a short drive downhill to sea level.

You won’t want to miss out on exploring the Targa Florio Museum, dedicated to the town’s rich motorsport heritage. The first ever car rally passed through the streets of the town, with its iconic hairpin bend rivalled in car racing lore only by that in Monte Carlo.

A treasure trove of traditional Sicilian culture and multinational friends, this friendly little town is a wonderful place to buy a property on the island.

Potential

The larger of these sea-view apartments in Collesano is completely habitable immediately, with no work necessary. The wiring and plumbing are certified and up-to-date.

Externally, there is certainly work that could be done on the rather faded plaster. This might require an investment of between €10,000 and €20,000.

It would be possible, if you were interested in the idea, to create a roof terrace right at the top of Palazzo Sarrica. While this would obviously require a significant amount of work, the end result would give you one of the nicest views anywhere in Collesano, and obviously have a huge knock-on effect on the property’s resale or rental value.

As explained above, the second flat needs to be totally renovated. There are so many variables in terms of taste, materials and time-frame that it would be very hard to provide an accurate estimate of the costs involved, but we usually advise that a full renovation costs around €1,000 per square metre, which puts us somewhere around the €50,000 figure to bring it up to a beautiful standard.

For more specific advice, including a free consultation with one of the architects we regularly collaborate with in our capacity as project managers and a full explanation of how we can offer our services to support our happy buyers right through the necessary work, contact our friendly and multilingual team today.