Classic meets contemporary at Aieri, in northwestern Sicily. Two centuries old, the villa has original beamed ceilings, terracotta-tiled floors and stone walls, but also casual chic pouffes, a lilly-white pergola and an excellent, steel-speckled kitchen. It’s very sociable, too: spaces across the multi-levelled ground floor include a dining room seating eight and a library-style lounge. As well as boasting the latest tech: there’s a giant, flatscreen TV in the lounge, while the skylit kitchen has a dishwasher which, impressively, offers four-minute cycles.
Aieri is rendered perfect for a group of friends by dint of its three ensuite, queen-sized bedrooms being so secluded from one another. While the ground-floor pair offer veranda or garden access, their upstairs counterpart connects to the two riad-like roof terraces. Yes, two – each boasting chaise longues and perfect for sunset cocktails over breathtaking mountain views. From the lounge, meanwhile, wide French doors connect to a covered veranda enabling outdoor meals overlooking the jasmine-scented gardens. Further down the garden, beautifully framed by swaying palms, is the salt water infinity pool and its sunbeds.
Despite such a peaceful location, you’re only 500 metres from a supermarket. The old port of Trapani, with its island-bound ferries, is close by, as are Cornino and Scopello’s sandy beaches, wine-making Marsala’s salt pans, the medieval hill town of Erice and Segesta’s well-preserved Greek temple. Palermo’s airport is about a 50-minute drive, and the alluring city only a little further on.