Property Description

Build Your Own Home in Sicily, on a Four Acre Plot of Sea-view Land at an Enticing Price

On the eastern edge of the magnificent Madonie Natural Park at the centre of Sicily’s north coast, Plot Duca is a four acre estate with sea views, abundant vegetation and the ruins of an old cottage.

In the district of Pollina, a fortified Medieval town at the very top of the hill with commanding panoramas of the surrounding countryside and seascape, it is just two and a half kilometres inland, at around 400m above sea level. The peace, quiet and sense of isolation here is really special, with the only noise the sounds of nature.

The remains of the cottage must be demolished and a new home built from scratch. However, the size of the plot means that the new house can legally offer up to 160 square metres of living space. That’s not including outdoor areas like terraces or gardens. Dare we even say the deck around your very own private swimming pool?

As is so often the case in Sicily’s traditional culture, the owners have a connection with the land that stretches back more than a hundred years. The vendor’s grandparents lived there, building the little cottage a century ago, and it was even their own home for ten years. At that time there was no electricity, no plumbed sanitation, water taken from the estate’s twin springs. The unpaved access road was only used on foot or by donkey, with the family tending the land and working at a nearby poultry farm.

Abandoned about four decades ago when the building collapsed beyond repair, the plot has largely returned to nature, with trees that will need pruning and rough vegetation underfoot. However, when it has been tidied up a bit and had a new house built that’s worthy of the fabulous position, it will once again make a superb home or summer escape for a lucky family.

The Property

Plot Duca is a roughly rectangular plot, running roughly west-east along the side of a hill that slopes down towards the sea to the north-east. At the western edge it runs for about 80m along the edge of the road from sea level up to Pollina, and then it extends for a maximum of 250m at its longest point. The far edges are uneven, like the fingers of a hand, giving the estate shape and character.

It’s not smooth slope, there are some steeper drops and some terraces where the land is flatter. Much of the plot has a direct view out to sea, in the direction of the volcanic Aeolian islands, several of which can be seen clearly on a sunny day.

It has two natural sources of water, and this, combining with the rich soil and the region’s unbeatable 300 annual days of sunshine, makes the soil underfoot very fertile. You can see this from the abundance of trees and plants which have thrived here even in the years since Plot Duca fell into disuse.

All that is left of the old cottage is a few bricks and some half walls. There is unfortunately not much raw material to re-use, but the advantage is that it will require only a short effort to remove and create the space to build your own home in Sicily.

Surroundings

Pollina is found at the very eastern end of the Madonie Natural Park, overlooking the valley that separates it from the Tyrrhenian coast’s other great wild expanse, the Nebrodi Park.

The village itself is just a five minute drive away, 3 kilometres uphill. It’s walkable, but the 250m of elevation makes it more of a fitness activity than a gentle stroll. The little community, which we identified in 2020 as a key investment opportunity in Sicily, and describe in detail in this article, is small but welcoming.

A growing group of international arrivals have bought properties here, and the local amenities include a phenomenal outdoor amphitheatre, a smart recycling system which offers tax credits in return for proper use, and a cutting edge fibre-optic internet infrastructure which makes it a great spot for remote working.

At sea level, the little town of Finale di Pollina is part of the same municipality. Reached in just eight minutes, it is where you’ll find the shops and bars that you’ll become most familiar with in your day-to-day life here. There is a nice beach, and a recently redeveloped seafront.

Speaking of the beach, the iconic skyline of beautiful Norman beach town Cefalù is just 25 minutes away. Sicily’s great capital city, Palermo, is less than an hour beyond that, with its internationally famous theatres, fine dining, street food, marina and the closest international airport.

Potential

It is, as we mentioned above, going to be necessary to demolish what little remains of the old cottage and build a new home from scratch. If you’ve never looked into the realities of doing this here we strongly recommend you check out our guide to how to build your own home in Sicily, but please don’t hesitate to contact us with any further questions you may have.

You should work on the basis that building a good quality home will need an investment of about €2,500/m2. On top of this you will need to allow for a vehicle-friendly surface on the access road, and potentially a perimeter fence for the estate.

One thing to bear in mind is that it’s not essential to build on the site of the old structure. You might find another patch of ground on the estate that better suits what you have in mind.

If you prefer the security of working with a project manager who speaks your language but also knows the local area inside and out, with a deep contact list of experts and specialists, the Property in Sicily team are what you need. With a long history of success in overseeing projects of all sizes, especially in the Madonie region, we can explain your needs to local workers, and use our regional knowledge to negotiate with them on your behalf. Take a look at all the after-sales services we can offer and see how much we can reduce your risks and simplify your life.