Italian city provides a design inspiration
Taormina is a Sicilian melting pot of a town, a bit Italian, a bit Arab, and somewhat Greek. Nestled among the hills and the Mediterranean Sea, Taormina is perched on a privileged promontory. Sicily in May is not what I was expecting … it was much more. More beautiful, more green and more authentic than many of the Italian cities I love.
From most points on the eastern coast of Sicily, the snowcapped Mt. Etna and its crown of smoke and clouds are visible. The landscape is varied and ranges from arid crests dotted with cactuses to verdant hills copiously covered with majestic evergreens. The Mediterranean seemingly has taken a bite to create a beach at Giardini-Naxos.
High on the hills is the very chic Villa Ducale, a former private residence turned hotel that from its front gate cascades dramatically down the hill with rooms and terraces. Its owners, the globe-trotting Quartuccis, are a warm and loving couple who strive to make sure their guests not only have a pleasant stay, but get to have a veritable Sicilian experience full of hospitality and style. Staying at Villa Ducale is more like staying at a friend's home than a hotel. The decor is a unique mix of rustic antiques laid out with a contemporary vibe. The color scheme is a timeless combination of taupe, black and cream with aqua accents. The owners worked closely with the Florentine Interior design team at Studio Puck. The lobby, bar and dining room offer a bird's-eye view of the coved ocean, which is lined with a strand of lights resembling a diamond necklace.
Sicilians take great pride of all the great resources it has, from tomatoes to almonds to lemons. Roadside vendors and shopkeepers alike offer their produce like the most beautiful piece of jewelry or a work of art. At the restaurant at Villa Ducale, a very young chef, Lino Capitano, explained every dish in infinite detail, always highlighting the local seasonal produce used to conceive traditional, yet updated, Sicilian dishes. Local grilled fish, handmade pastas in never heard of sauces, and exquisite fresh fruit sorbets give farm-to-table food a good name here.
Further above Taormina, almost touching the sky, is the town of Castelmola. The views of the Mediterranean and Italy are breathtaking. The narrow streets and stair-cased passages are all paved in cobblestones, and make head-spinning turns with doors and entryways to homes and businesses that look like they are suspended in midair. Of note is the Church San Nicolo di Bari built in 1934 on the main piazza. It is an interesting amalgamation of Art Deco and Middle Eastern architecture with gothic arches and Star of David adorned round windows.
Not to be missed is the Bar Turrisi, a tower turned bar from 1947, well known for its sweet almond wine, but also known for its risque decorating scheme. Definitely a design original, and now the reason throngs of people make the hike and pilgrimage to see this spectacle.
• Joseph Pubillones is the owner of Joseph Pubillones Interiors, an award-winning interior design firm based in Palm Beach, Florida.
© 2016, Creators Syndicate