Monaci Delle Terre Nere, bespoke luxury at the foot of Etna
There was a time when the monks of Saint Anne lived at a small cloister on the slopes of Etna, surrounded by orchards and gardens. When Guido Coffa found this beautiful landscape, he immediately felt that he had a perfect location for a luxury boutique hotel in Sicily. He soon transformed the grounds into the Monaci Delle Terre Nere, the Monastery of the Black Land, named for the volcanic soil laid down by Etna over the centuries. Today his gardens and olive groves support the most eco-friendly resort on the island, and the hotel’s infinity pool faces the Mediterranean Sea far above the city of Catania, looking down and out over a wide blue expanse. Vines produce grapes for the region’s award-winning wines, and a children’s playground stands in the warm sunshine near the center of the estate, while Pilates and yoga classes are held during the summer season.
The grounds of the Monaci cover 16 hectares and the facilities of the resort are scattered between the main building and several supporting structures. The main building, designed with a Renaissance brick façade, boasts six of the twenty rooms with the others scattered over a further six properties across the estate, and contains the hotel’s restaurant, while the infinity pool features a bar. Within the main building, the Monaci holds an excellent reading room and lounge.
The Monaci offers its guests their choice of twenty rooms. Each room draws its name from the terminology of the local wineries, such as the Suite Dependence Fragrante, or the Suite Fresco, Double Superior Frutatto, and so on. There are several categories of rooms, known as the Classic, Superior, Deluxe, Suite Dependance, Double Deluxe, Double Superior, the Queen Fiore, and the King Elegante. The décor is exquisite, restrained, and modern, with certain accents from an earlier age, such as wooden beams overhead. The Monaci offers luxury accommodations in a rustic setting.
