Monaci delle Terre Nere

Monaci delle Terre Nere is a country boutique hotel, organic farm, and wine producer, set on Mount Etna slopes between Catania and Taormina. The agritourism hotel and wine estate’s restored 18th-century main house holds the reception, bar, slow-food fine-dining restaurant, and a handful of guest rooms. As beautiful as the old stone building is, it’s Monaci's grounds that amaze. This is a working farm filled with vineyards, herb gardens, citrus orchards, and olive groves (the hotel produces its own olive oil and half a dozen types of organic wine). Trees bearing plums, persimmons, and pears are just a few of the 150 types of fruit trees on the property. Fieldstone walls, lavender hedges, walls of cypress trees, and dirt roads act as borders between crops, fields, and other areas of the hotel. There are 10 full-time gardeners on staff here, and the distant hum of a tractor is a regular white noise. The hotel’s 150 free-range chickens yield hundreds of eggs a day, which are prepared fresh for the guest breakfast and used for the dough in the hotel's pasta-making class. As a certified eco resort, Monaci delle Terre Nere has no disposable products anywhere; in the guest rooms, there are recycling bins and refillable toiletries made in Italy. 

When the hotel first opened, the country boutique hotel converted the property’s stables into six guest rooms. Over the years, Monaci has converted other old farm structures, or built new ones from volcanic stones, upping its room count to 21 as of our spring 2019 visit, with plans to add seven more by the end of 2019. As most rooms are individual stone cottages, Monaci delle Terre Nerre is very romantic and geared primarily towards couples, especially wedding parties and newlyweds, though families often enjoy the space and privacy afforded by the rooms. Regardless, the hotel is for those who are keen on the country life at a slower pace. Guests here lounge by the infinity pool, with views of terraced farmland and the Ionian Sea in the distance, or have a glass of wine on a chair or Bali bed on the manicured lawn in front of the main house. For organic food and wine, there is garden seating by the pool under a canopy. Bikes are available for exploring the property. The hotel has a two-night minimum, which ensures that guests have the option of spending at least one full day at the property. The hotel closes during the off season, and is typically fully occupied from Easter to the end of October.

Monaci delle Terre Nere is set on the eastern foothills of Mount Etna, with the Ionian Sea visible in the distance. There's nothing in the immediate vicinity but farms and tiny villages. The drive to Catania (to the south) takes about 40 minutes, and the drive to Taormina (to the north) takes about the same amount of time. Budget about 50 minutes to drive to Catania Fontanarossa Airport.

As of our April 2019 in-person visit to Monaci, the hotel had 21 rooms, suites, and villas, with plans to add seven more over the year. Many are old farm structures that have been renovated (expect to see beautiful old rooftop beams); others are new builds made from volcanic stones. Rooms are scattered about the property and each one is special and one of a kind, with fresh flowers and contemporary decor: lighting (by Foscarini, an Italian brand), original art, and custom furniture. For example, the coffee table in one room consists of a slab of glass on top of a volcanic stone grain mill. Some of the original art are bright oils by an Anglo-Brazilian painter based in London. Floors are sleek hardwood and beds are kings, many with modern four-post frames.

Most rooms have wood-burning fireplaces, which the hotel will light right before guests’ arrival or anytime during their stay. All have upscale amenities like Sonos music systems, espresso or coffee machines with organic coffee, bathrobes/slippers, and minibars with Sicilian products, like Bronte pistachios, homegrown wine and olive oil. There are no TVs in any rooms, but that is exactly the point (plus, laptops and iPads are available). Bathrooms have heated towel racks; King of Cotton organic cotton towels from England; and eco-friendly, Italian-made Anyah bath products in refillable dispensers. Some rooms have tubs; others just walk-in rainfall showers. Certain upgraded suites have hot tubs on the terrace. All rooms have outdoor space to enjoy the beautiful countryside with a glass of wine. Free mineral water and fresh fruit from the farm are provided.

There are rooms that sleep two and villas and suites with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms. For example, the 1,1615-square-foot Signature Villa has two bedrooms and three bathrooms, as well as three fireplaces, a hot tub, and a private wine cellar.

Note that there is a minimum stay of two nights. Wi-Fi is free in the rooms.

As an organic farmstay in Sicily, Monaci delle Terre Nerre offers features based around relaxation, healthy slow food, and wine produced on site. The hotel’s lave-stone infinity pool sits in a garden and offers views of the surrounding farmland and the Ionian Sea on the horizon. With over 30 varieties of herbs and around 150 types of fruit trees, the hotel offers cooking classes using ingredients grown on the property. Monaci’s pasta-making class makes use of the eggs from the hotel’s own chickens. The hotel’s fine-dining restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner; breakfast is served outside by the pool or in the bar during rainy weather. The organic breakfast includes homemade cakes and bread made fresh daily, jams made from Monaci’s homegrown fruits, Nebrodi meats, Sicilian cheeses, local Zafferana honey, eggs from the farm’s chickens, and cold-pressed juices. The bar is open daily and hosts a live Sicilian band three nights a week.

The hotel plans to build a 4,300-square-foot spa with an indoor heated pool, a gym, and treatment rooms for massages. Activities like private yoga, horseback riding in the hills of Mount Etna, and wine tastings of Monaci and other locally produced wines are available, as are excursions to Mount Etna and Taormina.