Paternò, Sicily
In the heart of the historical city centre of Paternò, 15 mn away from Catania and Mount Etna, a bright panoramic attic with 180° breath-taking sight on the splendid historical hill of the town, Norman castle, Simeto river valley and Mount Etna. A 50 square meters terrace with barbecue. All the flat is furnished in typical Sicilian style and surrounded by picture windows that allow to enjoy the sight from every part. A double bed room and a living-room with kitchen equipped with a comfortable sofa bed for a total of 3-4 persons. A private bathroom with shower.
The origins of Paternò are old. They date back to a period before Antic Greece . The historical city centre is rich of Norman period monuments. On the hill, among others, you can find the castle constructed by Roger 2nd in 1072 and Santa Maria di Josaphat church built by countess Adele in 1092. In the lower part of the city, you can find the crenelated tower of the falconers (14th C.), Santa Barbara church, the Pantheon and others baroque monuments.
We stayed in the appartement, in the middle of the town of Paterno, for two weeks. We had a lovely time there, found some nice shops and restaurants and were able to visit a lot of nice places in Sicilië.
Only a/c did not worked so well with 40 degrees Celcius. And no a/c or fan in the bedroom, so we slept on the sleeping couch. But overall very nice
The apartment is attractively furnished (some antiques), comfortable bed, very good linen and towels and a large terrace with views including Mt. Etna. There is a lift to the 6th floor, then 2 flights of stairs to the apartment. Parking is free but the driving is manic! The manager Monica was excellent and the owner (who lives on the floor below) very welcoming. Paterno is a working town with many cafes and bars but no upmarket restaurants within walking distance. There is a small supermarket a few doors away (very good meat products) and the larger ones are on the outskirts. There is no wine shop and the small stores keep only cartons & plastic bottles. There are a couple of vegetable shops nearby. The fridge has no ice compartment Most beachside restuarants were also still closed at this time of year.
We had wonderful 9 days in this well equipped penthouse appartement with a fantastic view from the roof terrasse. A very friendly and easy going host. Paterno is well situated close to Catania airport, Etna and a lot of sightseeing possibilities within reasonable distances. However, you need a car including GPS to get around and also to learn how to park the Italian way. Marianne and Helge Jakobsen, Denmark