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If you have been following us for some time now, you may know we devoted a full section of our website to the pearls of Sicilian Luxury.
Yet, there is much more to know about the Sicilian property market. In fact, with property prices rising everywhere in Italy last year, Sicilian cities have still much to offer with great deals at every level of investment.
Also, the Sicilian property market is currently perfect both for relocation, holiday homes and for investments, given the interest tourists have in the area, and the glorious property assets the island boasts.
We asked our property consultant Ilaria, based in Sicily, but most of all expert and admirer of its territory, to tell us more about Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with its baroque identity and its unique culinary traditions and history.
Where does Sicily's fame come from?
Dating back to the earliest times of culture and stories, "travelling" has always been one of the ways human beings had to test themselves and discover the "unknown". In the Middle Ages, and later on, during the Humanism and Renaissance, the European Aristocracy expected their younger members to travel around Europe (the "Gran Tour") to become more educated and also resilient.
During the 18th century, Italy became a destination of primary importance for the Grand Tour, being considered an “outdoor museum”. Sicily became an essential part of the Grand Tour experience, due to the mild climate and the increasing interest for its natural beauties, the uniqueness of the architecture and the abundance of archaeological sites.
The first travelers in Sicily were particularly captured by its culinary art and the contradictions encountered in that Mediterranean Island: its bandits, the earthquakes, the lava flowing and the backlog roadway system. Later on, the crucial experiences concerned the visit of Messina, Taormina, Catania, Segesta, Agrigento and obviously the climbing of Mount Etna.
Three leading factors turned Sicily into one of the most popular destinations in Italy: its ancient heritage, for being considered a laboratory of geology and for its wild nature, including volcanoes and suggestive landscapes.
These are part of what attracts foreigners to Sicily still today: its natural beauty, its distinctive culture, its charming and diverse landscapes, its delicious food, basically its untouched traditions.
Foreign buyers investing in Sicily These travellers have now become property investors: if you consider, for example, the areas of Taormina, Etna and Catania, you’ll find that 70% of buyers are Italians and the other 30% are made up Europeans from Germany, Switzerland and Sweden. In the area of Ragusa and Siracusa, the international buyers represent 70% of investors, who are mostly looking for big farms, new modern villas with a garden, a swimming pool, and a sea view. But also the area of Castellammare del Golfo and Scopello, with its stunning sea views and privacy opportunities, have recently become of high interest for foreign buyers, particularly, from The Netherlands, France, Germany, United Kingdom, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. But let's not forget the interest from the US, with many Italo-American buyers searching for their roots.
Rediscovering Sicily Today: The Seven Wonders of Sicily.
Today, Sicily offers many suggestions to gratify your curiosity for the world, from the archaeological site of the Valle Dei Templi in Agrigento to the Villa Romana Del Casale in Piazza Armerina, which is popular for its mosaics and the representation of the first woman in a bikini; from the Greek city of Siracusa with the Necropoli Rupestre of Pantalica, tombs dating back to the XII century AC, to the Baroque of Val di Noto; the Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe and one of the most important in the world for its incomparable performances with colourful eruptions between lava and snow and for the unique nature of its ecosystem; the Arabo-Normanno path from Palermo to Monreale and Cefalù, a tangible evidence of the harmonious coexistence of the Norman-Arab-Byzantine style with civil and religious buildings; the Isole Eolie, a volcanic archipelago of 7 islands renowned in the world for the complexity of its geology.
Areas of interest in Sicily
If you are looking to invest in Italy and you dream about escaping on an island with warm climate all year round and the idea of being on holiday 365 days a year, Sicily is an option to take under serious consideration; and don’t forget, Sicily is an enormous island, the largest in the Mediterranean sea, with hundreds of places you can visit, sport you can practice and great food and wine you can taste. You will never get bored!
Sicily offers the perfect climate, great beaches, natural reserves and places that are artistically and historically interesting. The island offers a beautiful rural countryside to visitors stemming from its largely agricultural history and culture, characterized by typical Sicilian Baglio and ancient Noble Villas but you can also find Baroque Buildings or Liberty Palaces in town.
In the region, there are areas where prices are pretty much astronomical like in Taormina, for example. Nevertheless, you can still make great deals and find villas overlooking the sea for 200.000 euro, or two-bedroom townhouses in land for 100.000 euro. The area around Castellammare Del Golfo and Scopello is also attracting more and more visitors because of the high demand of new complexes with modern sea-view villas. Here, the presence of good airports, the two major Airports of Palermo and Catania and the secondary ones of Trapani and Comiso, is crucial to the demand.
There are so many opportunities waiting for you on the island! Why not exploring them?
Don't hesitate to contact us if you wish to know more about the Sicilian market and share this info with your Sicilian-lover-fellows!
If you are interested in Sicily, Sicilian properties and Sicilian lifestyle, don't forget to follow our Luxury Sicily webpage!
And, if you want us to explore and tell you more about any other area or aspect of the buying process, you can always send us an email to ask to discuss them!
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