===== Exterior ===== Villa San Marco is a completely independent holiday home of 80 square meters with 4 total beds which is located a few kilometers from the town of Sciacca in the locality of San Marco, The villa is about 500 meters from the sea and is the ideal solution for families who want to enjoy one of the most beautiful seas in Sicily away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The villa has an external part where there is a beautiful garden with parking space, well maintained and equipped with services, such as kitchen, barbecue, the garden is quite comfortable, you can enjoy real moments of relaxation, where you can nice breakfasts and also nice grilled fish, considering that the city of Sciacca is famous for fishing, very suggestive for our guests to go to the port and buy freshly caught fish, sometimes even alive - Outdoor: At guest disposal a beautiful garden with parking space, well maintained and equipped with services, such as kitchen, barbecue, the garden is quite comfortable, you can enjoy real moments of relaxation, where you can have nice breakfasts and even nice grills of fish. - Services: Services included: • Kitchen linen • Bed linen and towels • Parking area • Water, electricity, gas, heating • Washing machine • Wifi internet Services not included • Extra cleaning • Extra towels • Linen and towels • Pets (supplements may apply) - Attractions: THE DISTRICT OF SCIACCA The seaside resort of San Marco is only a few kilometers by car from the ancient city of Sciacca, famous not only for fishing but also for the production of typical hand-made ceramics, for its ancient churches, for its castles, and for the famous carnival that takes place in the winter months, in February. In addition, the city offers a lot, for example in the evening in summer you can take beautiful walks in the historic center where there are many local music, concerts, beautiful shops, and restaurants where you can taste the typical specialties of the place. The property is located in a very favorable area for tourist itineraries, just 35 minutes you can reach the temples of Agrigento, and the Temples of Selinunte, 1 hour you reach the city of Palermo, nearby we have the nature reserves of the mouth of the Platani river, a naturalistic scenario much appreciated by our visitors, always nearby we reach EracleaMinoa where there is the ancient Greek-Roman theater, and so on following Torre Salsa, and Scala dei Turchi and many other travel experiences that we will let you enjoy during your stay, accompanying you with the excursions that you can do on site to discover many beautiful and very suggestive sites. Sicily is Sicily Sicily, Italian Sicilia, island, southern Italy, the largest and one of the most densely populated islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Together with the Egadi, Lipari, Pelagie, and Panteleria islands, Sicily forms an autonomous region of Italy. It lies about 100 miles (160 km) northeast of Tunisia (northern Africa). The island is separated from the mainland by the Strait of Messina (2 miles [3 km] wide in the north and 10 miles [16 km] wide in the South). The capital is Palermo. CLASSICAL CROSSROADS Seductively beautiful and perfectly placed in the heart of the Mediterranean, Sicily has been luring passersby since the time of legends. The land of the Cyclops has been praised by poets from Homer to Virgil and prized by the many ancient cultures – Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Elymians, Romans and Greeks – whose bones lie buried here. Whether in the classical perfection of Agrigentos Concordia temple, the monumental rubble of Selinuntes columns or the rare grace of a dancing satyr statue rescued from Mazara del Vallos watery depths, reminders of bygone civilisations are everywhere. MEDITERRANEAN FLAVOURS A delectable layer-cake of culinary influences, Sicilys ancient cuisine continues to rely on a few key island-grown ingredients: shellfish and citrus, tuna and swordfish, pistachios, almonds and ricotta. Talk to the septuagenarian chef at a Catania restaurant and shell confide that she still uses her grandmothers recipe for pasta alla Norma, joyfully sharing the poetic imagery that links it to Mt Etna: the tomatoes are lava; the eggplant, cinders; the basil, leafy greenery; the ricotta, snow. Modern chefs may play with the details, but Sicilys timeless recipes – from the simplest cannolo to the most exquisite fish couscous – live on. Siciliys Superlatives The Valley of Temples in Agrigento The large complex of temples and tombs in Agrigento dates as far back as 500 BC and includes Sicilys best preserved Doric temple-Tempio di Concordia-one of the most perfect to survive anywhere. Along with it in the eastern group is the Tempio di Juno Lacinia, almost as large, and in the western group is Temple of the Olympian Zeus, the largest of them at 40 meters but toppled by an earthquake. The circular Doric Tempio di Heracles, also in the western group, was destroyed by the Carthaginians and rebuilt by the Romans, only to be partially destroyed in an earthquake. The entire group is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Cathedral of Monreale The cathedral of Monreale reflects at once the politics, religion, and artistic heights of Sicily under the Normans. And in doing so, it also achieved a place in the art history of Europe, all the more remarkable because it remains today almost exactly as it was built in the 1100s. The cathedrals architecture represents the move away from Eastern Byzantine forms, but its decoration with dazzling mosaics-considered the churchs magnificent highlight-keep it firmly in the Byzantine traditions. They cover every available surface, in intricate illustrations of Biblical text and themes rendered in vibrant colors and with exceptional artistic virtuosity. Church Mosaics in Palermo Two of Palermos three major churches, the Cappella Palatina and Santa Maria dellAmmiraglio, better known as La Martorana, are famed for their mosaics. Those in the chancel of the Normans court church, Cappella Palatina, are thought to be from 1143 and the mosaic of Christ between Peter and Paul from about 1350. Other highlights of the church are the Arabic stalactite ceiling, the pulpit on carved and inlaid pillars, and the tall candelabra. La Martoranas beautiful mosaics are also from the 12th century on a gold ground and are the oldest of their kind in Sicily. The image of Christ is the centerpiece, and elsewhere in the vaulting, dome, apses, and narthex are scenes from the New Testament. Eastern Temples at Selinunte One of the largest and most significant of Sicilys ancient sites, Selinunte has eight Greek temples dating as far back as the fifth century BC, plus the nearby Temple of Demeter. The most important are those known as the Eastern Group, labeled by letter: Temple G for its impressive size and Temple E for its architectural grandeur, considered the highpoint of the Classical period. Temple G, now in ruin, was among the largest of all Greek temples. In a separate section is the large Acropolis surrounded by defensive walls, some dating from the seventh century BC. Temple C is the largest and oldest, from about 550 BC, and sits on the highest ground. Mount Etna Etna is an enigma; even its height is never certain as it changes with each new eruption. But at more than 3,000 meters, it rules the skyline with its often-smoking cone. Volcanic vents, fumaroles, hot springs, and lava flows add to its changing landscape, much of which you can explore (although not too close to the central crater) on foot or in all-terrain vehicles designed for traction in the volcanic surface. Roads lead to the base of cable cars, which will take you to the 2,500-meter point, an easy day trip from Catania or Taormina. In the winter, you can ski near the summit. Villa Romana del Casale in Enna A 12th-century landslide buried this sprawling Roman villa outside Enna, thus preserving it almost intact to be discovered and excavated eight centuries later. One of the best-preserved villas anywhere in the Roman Empire, it still has most of the original decoration. In the 50 rooms so far excavated are more than 3,500 square meters of mosaic floors with detailed scenes from mythology and contemporary life, including hunting wild animals for use in gladiatorial combat. The thermal baths with their colonnaded courtyard and fountain are especially beautiful. The villa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Parco Archeologico della Neapolis, Syracuse One of the largest theaters in the ancient Greek Empire is a good reason, but not the only one, to visit the archaeological park in Syracuse. The view of the excavations as you approach along Viale Rizzo will give you an idea of their extent, which includes both the Greek Theater and a large Roman Amphitheater. The massive Altar of Hiero II dates from the third century BC, a century later than the 15,000-spectator Greek Theater. The Roman Amphitheater is from the third century AD and is partly hewn from the bedrock. Discover Sicily and start building your trip! THEME ITINERARIES SICILY IN BLUE - THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACHES https://www.visitsicily.info/en/discover/sea/ SICILY OF SMALL ANCIENT VILLAGES https://www.visitsicily.info/en/discover/borghi/ SICILY - ART, TRADITION AND ANCIENT TRADES https://www.visitsicily.info/en/discover/arte/ GREEN SICILY - PARKS, RESERVES AND OUTDOOR SPORTS https://www.visitsicily.info/en/discover/active-holidays-eng/ SICILY FOR KIDS - THE PLACES FOR FAMILIES https://www.visitsicily.info/en/discover/family/ THE SICILY OF THE SOUL - THE WAYS OF FAITH https://www.visitsicily.info/en/sacred-journeys/ SICILY - AN OPEN-AIR MUSEUM - ITINERARY OF ARCHEOLOGY https://www.visitsicily.info/en/discover/archaeological-sicily/ SICILY - ALONG THE PATH OF WRITERS https://www.visitsicily.info/en/the-street-of-writers/ SICILY - THE MAGNA VIA FRANCICEGNA https://www.visitsicily.info/en/the-magna-via-francigena/ SICILY - THE VIA DEI CASTELLI DELLETNA https://www.visitsicily.info/en/the-route-of-etna-castles/ - Parking: private parking - Local Transport: Travel to Sicily AIRPORTS Fly to Sicily by arriving either at Catania Airport (CTA) or Palermo Airport (PMO). Which airport to use depends both on the convenience of the flight and of the destination airport, because Palermo is in eastern Sicily and Catania is in the western part of the island. TRAIN Book passage on an Intercity (IC) or Eurostar (ES) train. Although Sicily is not connected to the Italian mainland by bridge, trains are ferried from Villa San Giovanni in Calabria, the toe of Italys boot, to Sicily. Passengers do not even need to disembark from the train for the roughly one-hour passage. BUS Ride a bus or drive a rental car to Sicily. Bus companies like Interbus run routes from major Italian cities to Sicily, and drivers can depart from virtually anywhere in Italy. Car ferries depart from Villa San Giovanni, which makes it a transit point in common for cars and buses, as well as trains. SEA FERRY Book passage on a passenger sea ferry from elsewhere in Italy. In Italy, these ferries depart from Cagliari, Genoa, Livorno and Naples. International ferries travel to Sicily from Malta and Tunisia. Most ferries arrive in Palermo, but some go to Syracuse, as well as smaller port towns on the island. ===== Interior ===== Villa San Marco is an independent holiday home of about 80 square meters sleeping 4 with a private equipped garden and a beautiful panoramic view of the sea. ENVIRONMENTS Living area: entrance into the large open space living area with fully equipped kitchen with fridge and freezer, electric oven, 4-burner hob, coffee machine and all the main utensils. Living area with sofa, armchairs, coffee table and French door to access the panoramic terrace with sea view equipped with table and chairs Sleeping area 1 double bedroom 1 bedroom with two single beds Linen and towels are provided free of charge and you can find an extra set of pillows if you prefer softer or firmer ones. In the rooms there are also: full length mirror, wardrobe, hangers, bedside tables and lights. Bathrooms 1 full bathroom with window equipped with toilet, sink, bidet and shower. we provide complimentary toiletries toilet paper, free rugs and towels, hairdryer Toiletries: shampoo-shower, hand soap. Garden In the external part there is a beautiful garden with parking space, well maintained and equipped with services, such as kitchen, barbecue, the garden is quite comfortable, you can enjoy real moments of relaxation, where you can have nice breakfasts and even nice grills of fish, considering that the city of Sciacca is famous for fishing, very suggestive for our guests to go to the port and buy freshly caught fish, sometimes even alive CLEANING Cleaning is done at the beginning and end of the stay; it is possible to request an extra cleaning service on request for a fee INTERNET Wi-Fi available throughout the house AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATING The house is equipped with air conditioning In the summer I also provide fans in case of need As a result, you will feel comfortable whatever your expectations are. CHILDREN Children are welcome and we can provide cots upon request SENIORS the villa is on the first floor and it is necessary to climb a flight of stairs to access VIEW The view is on the surrounding bay NOISE Traffic is zero as we are not on a busy road. The doors and windows are of good quality. You will surely sleep well! PARKING AREA Free private parking on site - Sitting Room: LIVING AREA WITH SOFA, ARMCHAIR, BALCONY WITH SEA VIEW - Kitchen: 1 FULLY EQUIPPED KITCHEN - Bedrooms: 2 BEDROOMS - Bathrooms: 1 FULL BATHROOM WITH WINDOW ===== Apartment Policies ===== Arrival between 16:00 and 20:00 Departure within 10:00 Not included in the rental price and to be paid on the spot: Bed Linen and Towels (additional set) (on request): 15.00€ per person Extra Cleaning (on request): 15.00€ per hour Final Cleaning (mandatory): 90.00€ Refundable Security Deposit in cash (mandatory): 400.00€ Late Arrival (after 23:00) (on request): 100.00€ Included in the rental price: Bed Linen and Towels (initial set) Extra Bed Use of double sofa-bed Use of the Kitchen Beds made up for arrival Electricity Heating (on request) Utilities Water Internet Wifi Internet High chair Parking Pets (on request) Early Departure Washing Machine Welcome kit Key collection service Registration fee