Linguaglossa: Charming ancient house in Etna - Linguaglossa

This charming antique mansion is located in the historical heart of Linguaglossa, right between the fascinating slopes of Mount Etna and the sea. Despite the hot summer days, we were able to keep the house nicely cool. The adjoining terrace was a great added value in the evening, as well as the quiet garden with its own source of potable water. We were warmly welcomed by the friendly owners who immediately gave us knowledgeable advice on possible excursions in the area. The volcano and the region have few secrets for them and we gratefully took advantage of the tip to go to the beach of Marina di Cottone, where a stream of fresh water flows from the bottom into the sea. Good for the kids to play in and to wash off the salty seawater. Despite the age of the house, it is equipped with basic comforts. The kitchen could have offered a little more comfort such as a dishwasher or a bigger cooking stove. Anyway highly recommended!

We visited Linguaglossa to see the town where my grandmother's family came from (early 1900s), so being able to stay near the main square in a historic house was our primary reason for choosing this rental. Sergio and Giuseppina have created a very comfortable place to stay while still preserving a lot of the old charm. The house is very close to the busy main street (convenient to shops and restaurants), but the neighborhood was very quiet and we were always able to park just steps from the front door. Our group included my parents (in their mid-70s) and they were also quite pleased with the accommodations. The owners met us there at check-in, gave a lot of useful advice for the house and the town and were easily contacted via the VRBO app both before and during our stay.

While the apartment was very nice, clean, we found the location to be difficult to drive to on narrow and winding rural roads. We felt the town itself to us was overpoweringly confining. We left after one day. The hosts were extremely cordial and accommodating but this just wasn’t our cup of tea. For someone else though it may prove the perfect stay.

This is a very accommodation - the ancestral home of the host family. They are gradually restoring it, so it is a little bit of work in progress, but absolutely we recommend it. Sergio and his wife met us to welcome us and show us all the details of the sprawling property, from the romantic garden, the spring (?) water that was so good to drink, the rooftop perch, etc. Linguaglossa is one of the towns/villages on Mt. Etna and part of the wine road. The world of Mt. Etna vineyards and wineries is very dynamic - we could feel the energy and excitement. We could go hiking on the various parts of the mountain, depending on the weather. And the little restaurants and food/wine scene were wonderful! Sergio and his wife were enthusiastic cultural ambassadors and introduced us to the restaurants catering more to the local residents. Thank you for a wonderful home base!! It is not a modernized hotel experience, but if you love history and local connections, we would recommend it.

First of all the location and the house are incredible. The owners Giuseppina and Sergio are renovating this typical Sicilian house with lot of love and sensibility. The interior is really amazing and so much better then a commun hotel or B&B because you get a real idea of the Sicilian culture. Also the exteriors are very night to spend the evening with a glass of whine and the food you can by just next door in a small local shop. The location is perfect to explore Etna, Taormina, the beaches etc. Restaurant are very close. Within 20min you get to every nice spot in the area. Also Giuseppina and Sergio received us despite the late our and gave us precious advices where to go and what to see. Hopefully, hopefully we will come back. We very warmly recommend this beautiful place. Es it’s so toll, wir können es nur allerwärmstens emperlent. Amelie and Johan + kids

When Giuseppina and Sergio let us into their family's house in Linguaglossa, my wife and I could scarcely believe our eyes. A nineteenth-century house built for a successful wine-grower, its interior, from its elegantly tiled floors to exquisitely painted ceilings, is a testament to Linguaglossa's role in Etna's rich and fascinating enological history. Sparely yet comfortably furnished with carefully curated pieces, the house felt like a portal to another time. The house has no less than three different patios, each of which provides a slightly different vantage of Linguaglossa, its streets and rooftops, and in the not-too-far distance, Etna, smoking, steaming, and booming away. Sergio is a geologist by training, and a vulcanologist by specialty, and on our visit took us on a wonderfully illuminating walking tour of the volcano. Giuseppina, also a scholar, likewise, regaled us with all sorts of fascinating stories about Sicilian culture, from the songs of the fruit vendors to the symbols embedded in the pastries that she and her husband brought us one day from the best bakery in Catania. The house's kitchen was small but well-equipped and perfectly capable of turning out everything you need for a dinner party, the fixings for which can easily be rounded up just a few steps from the front door. Linguaglossa has more excellent produce stores, bakeries, alimentari and butcher shops than you can shake a stick at, and to a one, their owners were, to a one, extraordinarily kind to an American shopper who didn't always know the ropes. Linguaglossa makes a most excellent base for exploring Etna's wine-growing region and the national park, and Giuseppina and Sergio's house is the perfect place to come home to. We dream of it just as we dream of our next trip to Etna.

To stay in a house like this, with all it''s history and authenticity, feels like a privilege. The owners are very kind, helpful and dedicated. The surrounding varies from silent villages to the beauty (and crowds) of Taormina; from hiking the Etna to enjoy swimming in the river or the sea. We spent a lovely week with our family of 4, thank you Giuseppina and Sergio!

Great stay in this charming house and thank you Sergio for your friendly welcome.