Archive for 'Sicily and Sardinia'

Imagine, if you will, perfectly white, soft sand meeting crystal-clear, sparkling depths that range in hue from azure to deep green depending on the day. Oh, and on those sands, looking out into that impossibly beautiful sea, is a group of beige, cream, and tan cows, all laid out and enjoying the beach.

This is the picturesque sight that you can reasonably expect to behold for yourself should you find a vacation rental in Sardinia and plan a day at the truly singular and unique Spiaggia di Berchida, or Berchida Beach, located near Siniscola in the Province of Nuoro in East Sardinia.

A regular fixture on our blogs are listicles of some of our favourite properties of the moment among the almost four thousand different villas, farmhouses, apartments, castles, and more located all across Italy that are available to rent on our website. It can be very hard for us to narrow down the lists into bite-size articles for your consumption as there are just so many wonderful options to choose from! But we always somehow manage to whittle it down eventually to a taster of just some of the best of the best among them.

However, if you don't want to just take our word for it and would also like the opinion of one of the world's most stylish publications, then you're absolutely in luck! ELLE magazine, a famously sophisticated and fashion-forward magazine, recently ran a special feature focusing on the coolest, most luxurious, appealing, chicest, and varied ways to holiday in Italy. As Easy Reserve and Italy Villas are two of the best online destinations for those looking into planning a holiday in Italy and finding the perfect Italian villa of their dreams, they posted a special round-up of some of their favourites among our incredible vacation rentals in Italy on their website in conjunction with this Italian travel special. We were delighted to be chosen as one of their go-to sites for booking a vacation in Italy!

One of the most appealing and visited architectural gems is the endlessly fascinating Villa Palagonia, located in the town of Bagheria, 15km from the capital of Sicily, Palermo. Left in a dilapidated state, it is open to the public to be visited and while not all of it is currently accessible, it is nonetheless hauntingly beautiful and intriguing. If you have found a villa in Sicily or vacation rental in Palermo and you are interested in the island's rich and unique architectural and cultural heritage, then this is definitely a must-see to pencil in during your vacation in Italy.

Famous for the monstrous statues that decorate the garden, the so-called Villa dei Mostri (or Villa of the Monsters) was built in the 18th century according to the designs of Tommaso Napoli with the help of Agatino Daidone. An early example of the unique and richly intriguing Sicilian Baroque, the Villa Palagonia first gained international interest and attention when Grand Tour travellers exploring the area began to record and write of it and the series of grotesques on the grounds, in particular, in the 18th and 19th centuries. The likes of Henry Swinburne, Patrick Brydone, John Soane, Goethe, the Count de Borde, artists such as Jean-Pierre Houël or Alexandre Dumas, surrealists like André Breton, contemporary authors such as Giovanni Macchia and Dominique Fernandez, and more are all known to have noted, been inspired by, and reported about the villa.

Sardinia has been touched by all of the different civilisations and occupants that have made their home on this beautiful island and, as a result, it is dotted with stunning churches, incredible castles, ancient temples, pretty palaces, striking landmarks, and much more besides. However, if you have found a vacation rental in Sardinia and you are interested in her most intriguing historical gems, then you definitely need to pay a visit to the Giants of Mont'e Prama.

The Giants of Mont'e Prama are a series of massive, ancient stone sculptures that remain from the time of the Nuragic civilisation, which was a civilisation on Sardinia that lasted from the 18th century BCE (or during the Bronze Age) until the Roman colonisation of the island in 238 BCE (though some claim the civilisation actually lasted until the 2nd or, even, the 6th century AD). Named for the nuraghe, or tower-fortresses, that they built across the island, the Nuragic civilisation has left us no written records. What does remain, however, are some impressive monuments, including some 7,000 of the towers for which they were named and the fascinating Giants of Mont'e Prama, among other intriguing reminders.

We have recently been highlighting Sardinia as a holiday destination, not only because it is a stunning gem of an island with a rich and unique culture, delicious food, wonderful beaches, and more, it has also been named a White Zone in Italy for several weeks in a row . So, for those who have been missing travelling and can't wait for their next vacation in Italy, it is one of the best, safest, and hottest destinations for summer 2021. Browse our villas in Sardinia today and get planning your next trip!