Overview
A magical aristocratic villa set within an exotic park
Savor the splendid sunshine and luxurious style of Sicily at this exquisite historic villa located 15 minutes (8 km) west of Palermo. Dating back to the 16th century, Villa Tasca is one of Sicily's most prestigious and historic aristocratic residences. This prestige is reflected in every aspect of the property, from its spacious and elegant suites frescoed walls and ceilings, myriad works of art and collectible antiques to its exceptional staff and and from its private chapel to its sublime gardens, one of the most wondrous gardens in Sicily.
Villa Tasca is a historic place and a family home in one. A living environment where guests will be immersed in the same atmosphere experienced by Jacqueline Kennedy, King Ferdinand IV and Queen Caroline, Bismarck, Margherita di Savoia, and set to music by composers as Paganini, Verdi or Wagner who completed Parsifal while staying here in 1881. The film "Il Gattopardo" directed by Luchino Visconti was shot in this extraordinary villa.
Located on the road from Palermo to Monreale, in a 20-acre park full of citrus orchards and majestic century-old trees, this awesome villa can be the best place to savour the ancient legendary Sicilian luxury. This strategic position just off Palermo's ring road, means that both the old town centre and the Duomo of Monreale are within very easy striking distance. The central position of Villa Tasca also means that, alongside the singing of birds and the gentle aquatic murmur of the water features, some traffic noise can be heard in the garden.
The original villa was originally built in the 1500s, as a hunting lodge by the Baron of Montefalco, who considered the area, which was blessed with abundant streams, forests teeming with wild animals and easy access to Palermo, ideal for his needs. Over the centuries, Villa Tasca has been owned by some of Sicily’s most illustrious noble families who altered and improved the property. The last significant changes were made in the mid-to late 18th century and the neo-classical form and decorative treasures we see today mainly date from that period.
The enchantment begins as soon as you drive down through an elegant avenue of palm trees. Stepping inside the large and well-lit interiors of the villa you’ll be surrounded by graceful furnishings, antiques, family paintings and historic attributes including vaulted ceilings and by wonderful pastoral frescoes and tile-work that transmit the same balance of liveliness and serenity found in the garden. There are a four spacious suites (8 people); eventually extra beds can can be placed upon request, please enquire.
The sunshine will certainly beckon you outside and the spectacular gardens offer plenty of opportunities for enjoying Sicily’s incredible weather. The oasis which protects the villa is one of Sicily's most emblematic Victorian-era Romantic gardens. The garden is full of citrus orchards and majestic century-old trees. There are myriad sitting areas, tree-lined promenades, a lake, fountains, crumbling grottoes, statues and miniature neo-classical follies. The curvilinear stone-bordered pathways and the lush tropical vegetation carry you away into a rich world of silence and suggestion. The English lawns, which have replaced the old flower beds while maintaining their original form, allow you to enjoy the garden even in everyday life with lightness and simplicity. The huge, irregularly shaped swimming pool add a sense of fun and divertimento.
The owner lives in a separated wing of the villa with private access. Please enquire in case of guests with serious walking difficulties.
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Amenities
HOLIDAY HOME AMENITIES
- Pool: 18 x 10m
- Daily maid service
- Private chef (food costs are extra and payable on presentation of receipts + 20% of delivery service)
- Concierge service
- Staff/owner on the grounds
- Air conditioning in all bedrooms
- Internet WIFI connection
- Satellite TV (each bedroom has a TV with SKY Cinema and Sport)
- DVD Player
- Washing machine and dryer
- Loggia for al fresco dining
- Terrace
- Park full of majestic century-old trees
- Private parking
Touring Ideas
- Nearest shops/restaurants: 5mins drive in local area
- Palermo centre (shops and restaurants): 8km-5 miles-15mins
- Nearest sandy beach in Mondello: 15km-9miles-30mins
- Monreale: 5km-3miles-10mins
- Cefalu: 75km-47miles-50mins
- Erice: 77km-48miles-1hr20
- Trapani centre: 108km-67miles-1hr20
- Segesta archaeological site: 79km-49miles-1hr
- Zingaro Nature Reserve and Scopello: 121km-75miles-2hr10
Touring ideas
Photos
Activities
For those in search of the outside world, the wonders of Palermo, the beach at Mondello and the Cathedral and Cloisters of Monreale are just a short drive away.
Palermo is one of Italy’s largest, oldest and most historic cities. Full of art, and with a plethora of architectonic treasures (Andrew Graham-Dixon, the art historian, rated Palermo as his favourite city in the world in his BBC series Sicily Unpacked), Palermo deserves and rewards exploration. But Palermo means much more... and for sure it means also great shopping! You might like to head up to Via Libertà and Via Ruggero Settimo for shopping: numerous big-name boutiques (Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, CK Jeans, Rolex, Chanel, etc.) and local specialists selling ceramics and other objéts d'arts line these two streets, offering rich pickings for those with a penchant for fine things.
After a tour of Palermo, you cannot miss the Palermo’s seaside resort: Mondello. Either spend a little time on the glorious sandy beach or make use of your honorary membership (as guests at Villa Tasca) of La Vela, Mondello’s most exclusive beach club.
If you're visiting between October and May, consider a night at the opera at Teatro Massimo, the third largest opera house in Europe.
Further afield (but equally feasible for day trips) are the Greek cities of Segesta and Selinunte, the Roman site at Solunto, the Phoenecian island of Mozia, the ancient city of Erice, the Egadi islands, the salt pans at Trapani, the wineries at Marsala and - last but not least - the coastal paths and crystal bays of Lo Zingaro Nature Reserve.
Lo Zingaro Nature Reserve was created in 1981 and is part of the rugged, rocky and spectacular coastline in the west of Palermo, just after Castellammare del Golfo. Stretching along the coast for 7km between the little village of Scopello in the east to near San Vito Lo Capo in the west, this park and its surrounding areas are one of the most beautiful parts of western Sicily. The park attracts both walkers and bathers alike and, in the summer, when many beaches are overcrowded, it is a good idea to head for Lo Zingaro, walk for half an hour and spend the rest of the day in relative isolation on a virtually deserted beach. The Nature Reserve is also a magnet for ornithologists who come to study the local bird population, which includes eagles, peregrine falcons, partridges, kestrels and various kinds of owl. On the animal front you may well cross paths with weasels, hedgehogs, foxes, lizards and even the occasional, harmless vipers.
A day out visiting the twin sites of Segesta and Erice is another "must": the former is the site of an immaculate Elymian-Greek temple and a stunningly positioned theatre, while the second is a mediaeval hill-top town whose history dates back to Phoenician times and whose views take in over half of Sicily.
If you’ve been wondering how to cook "alla Siciliana", you can book a cooking experience with a member of the Tasca family. The Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School has been running for over 24 years. After shopping for ingredients in Palermo’s historic markets, you’ll learn how to create some Sicilian specialties, have a tour of this fascinating home and lunch on the fruits of your labors.
The Tasca family are also wine producers par excellence. Their family has been cultivating the land and producing some of Sicily’s finest wines for generations. Therefore, during your stay you must visit one of their wineries in the centre of Sicily for a guided tour, tasting and lunch. This trip is also a good excuse to see some of the island’s most stunning countryside, the Madonie Mountains, a totally different Sicily, a far cry to life in the big city or down by the coast.
Top-Tip: the 14th of July in Palermo is the Festino di Santa Rosalia, a celebration of the city's much loved and venerated patron saint, who is paraded through the old town centre from the Cathedral to the sea. As the procession finishes, the fireworks begin.
One of the best places to enjoy the special atmosphere of the Festino is Palazzo Lanza Tomasi, down on the sea-front in Palermo. You will be in the best possible vantage point from which to admire the stunning firework display that rounds off the evening's events.
Map
Please note: the Google Maps are only approximative, the exact address will be given after finalized booking.
Choose your holiday home
Villa Tasca
- sleeps 8+8 Guests
There are a four spacious suites (3 double bedrooms, 1 twin bedroom) for 8 people. Two extra beds can can be placed upon request in each bedroom (further 8 people) bringing the maximum capacity to 16 guests (8+8):
A grand double staircase sweeps up from the gardens to the main (noble) floor decorated and furnished with stunning neo-classical frescoes, majolica floor tiles created by the great Neapolitan master Attanasio in 1777, 17th century Palermitan furniture, Persian carpets and ornate, antique Murano glassware. Apart from the main drawing room with its beautiful terrace overlooking the gardens, the piano nobile is also home to the dining room, the music room (complete with grand piano and manuscripts signed by Wagner, Verdi and Artur Rubenstein), the TV room, a small service kitchen and two beautiful and generously proportioned suites, one with a double bed and one with a double bed and a French bed (making it an extremely spacious twin if necessary). Both have views over the gardens, large elegant dressing rooms and en suite bathrooms with separate tub and shower.
On the ground floor below, with access to a shady covered terrace looking out towards the gardens, is a billiard room, the library, a bar, the main kitchen and another two spacious double bedroom suites, both with en suite bathrooms (one with tub and one with separate tub and shower).
Ground floor:
- Billiard
- Sitting room 1
- Sitting room 2
- Guest bathroom
- Suite Blue with en suite bathroom (3 steps)
- Suite Rosa with en suite bathroom (4 steps)
First floor (noble floor):
- Central hall
- Dining room
- Sitting room Blu
- Room Monetari (this is more like an extra room, not really a sitting room)
- Room Giallo (this is more like an extra room, not really a sitting room)
- Living room with piano (music room)
- Suite Majolica with en suite bathroom
- Suite Contessa with boudoir and en suite bathroom
Outdoors:
- The large first floor terrace looking over the grounds is the perfect spot for dinner in the summer months, while the covered terrace below is ideal for breakfast.
- The beautiful, mature gardens offer a series of teasing perspectives, intended to inspire philosophical contemplation and artistic endeavour. The huge variety of Mediterranean and tropical flora will delight amateur and professional horticulturalists alike, while the grotto, pavilion, swan lake (home to Tristan and Isolde), and
- Huge, irregularly shaped swimming pool
- Parking
on request
Weekly rates in €
| Villa Tasca | 01 Jan 2023 - 31 Dec 2023 |
Availability | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Villa Tasca
8+8
PAX 8+1
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on request | N/A | Request Booking Villa Tasca |
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This rental property is part of our luxury collection, for prices and availability please enquire.
Rentals shorter than one week might be accepted, please enquire.
RENT INCLUDES
- Reception and concierge service
- Bed, bath and kitchen linens
- Change of linen every three days
- Pool towels
- Air conditioning in all Suites
- Heating in all Suites
- Internet WIFI connection
- Breakfast service
- Cleaning service
EXTRAS
- Food and beverages not included
- Additional beds and baby beds
- Extra linen change
SECURITY DEPOSIT
EUR 1000 per night via pre-authorization on credit card are due on arrival.
SERVICE ON REQUEST (please enquire with us when booking)
- Shopping service
- Exclusive lunch and dinner
- Chef and butler service
- Wine tasting
- Cooking class
- Laundry service
- Driver service
- Transfer service
- Car rental
- Taxi service
- Airport pick-up
- Guided tours in Palermo
- Weddings and events organization
- Private concerts
- Massage
- Yoga and pilates
NOTES
- Pool opening dates: end of April - end of September
- Pets allowed on request when booking
- Please note: special cancellation policy applies, please enquire.