Villas for Extraordinary Celebrations: Don Arcangello all'Olmo

When it comes to moments of pure conviviality, Don Arcangelo all'Olmo has plenty to offer.

Inside, there is a suite of generously proportioned, elegantly furnished reception rooms with lofty vaulted ceilings, lavastone-flagged flooring and grand fireplaces. A drawing room with space for everyone to gather flows into a large sitting room, with a more intimate corner of sofas and armchairs. From here, steps lead up to another sociable area and the wonderfully atmospheric dining room.

Outside, Don Arcangelo all'Olmo's extensive terraces alternate with vibrant gardens. One of the focal points is a jasmine-covered, al fresco dining area, where you will take most of your meals in the summer months. This extends outwards to incorporate a large, terracotta-tiled terrace furnished with top-quality, well-cushioned sofas and easy chairs. Gazing out to sea across the gardens, this is the perfect spot for pre- and post-prandial drinks.

Finally, the pool area has plenty of space for everyone to spend time together, whether lounging, swimming or, if requested, enjoying refreshments as the sun sets behind Mount Etna.

"We all loved Don Arcangelo all'Olmo and the two weeks we spent there. What stood out about? The gardens and landscaping are breathtaking and top class, and the villa and the bedroom suites are high quality and tasteful; the staff was super, A+; the pool was very pleasant and large enough for our group of 20."

Leonardo LoCascio

Dining at Don Arcangelo all’Olmo is a unique experience, and we use the word ‘unique’ advisedly. If you've ever read or seen The Leopard, you'll have some idea of what to expect.

At the heart of the gastronomic experience at Don Arcangelo all'Olmo is the owner’s family recipe book, a compendium of traditional Sicilian dishes (some of which you will no longer find in restaurants) and refined creations dreamt up over many decades by the family's chefs. Passed down through the generations, this treasure trove of culinary gems provides the inspiration for the memorable meals you’ll indulge in throughout your stay.

Everything is made fresh on the day, from the cakes and pastries for breakfast to the refreshing mid-afternoon ice-creams and granite. Ingredients are sourced locally from tried-and-trusted suppliers who've been working with the owner for many years.

The kitchen team are experts in the house specialities but are also highly adaptable. In the past they've catered for all manner of dietary requirements and specific culinary traditions.

Whether taken inside or al fresco, meals are served in style by the staff, who bring out the various courses and pass round the table in time-honoured fashion. Tablewear, cutlery and napery are of the highest quality, while the decorative centrepieces, which reflect the seasons, the menu or the specific occasion, are mini works of art.

Put quite simply, every meal at Don Arcangelo all'Olmo is an event in itself.

The effortless charm and convivial warmth of Don Arcangelo all’Olmo’s aristocratic owner sets the tone for a level of service that has few rivals.

Guests are welcomed like old friends, and the villa’s staff, many of whom have been discreetly exceeding expectations for 15 and even 20 years, skilfully tread the line between friendliness and formality; availability and discretion; well-honed routines and instinctive flexibility.

Each member of staff carries out a variety of duties, from housekeeping, serving at table, and cooking, and it is this all-round proficiency that elevates the service at Don Arcangelo all'Olmo to a different level.

The gardens at Don Arcangelo all'Olmo, which develop over a variety of levels for around two acres, are a thing of wonder and key to life at the villa.

Designed and planted by the owners in the 1990s, interspersed with shady and sun-kissed terraces, they feature numerous varieties of plants and trees.

Jasmine blossoms and scents the air throughout the year, and bougainvillea flourishes in a full spectrum of hues that's further intensified by an omnipresent host of radiant geraniums.

Diminutive chicas and lofty Washingtonia palms stand side by side with prickly pears, carob trees, and exotic Benjamin figs.

Thick clusters of intense tropical greens and wild strelitzia augustea hint at the owners' extensive travels in exotic lands, while a shady arbour of ancient olive trees reminds us that Sicily was once the epicentre of Magna Graecia.

The panoply of colour and fragrances continues with a virtuosic display of English roses, petunias, periwinkles, devil’s trumpets, plumeria, hibiscuses and countless other flowering plants.

Then, as the sun sets and guests gather for their pre-prandial aperitif on the sea-view terrace, it is the turn of night-blooming cestrum, whose heady scent inebriates the balmy air of Sicily's sensuous summer nights.

"We spent a wonderful week at Don Arcangelo all'Olmo celebrating my father’s 80th birthday. It was the perfect choice for this celebration and we will always keep fond memories of our time there."

NS

Over the 20+ years of working with Don Arcangelo all'Olmo, we and the owners have organised countless special events at the villa, from milestone birthday celebrations to wedding engagement parties and everything in between.

The experience of the owner and her staff, our on-the-ground contacts, and the elegant spaces that the villa provides, allows us to arrange practically anything for guests.

A popular request for celebratory events at Don Arcangelo all'Olmo is live music, and in the past we've had string quartets, jazz bands, traditional Sicilian folk groups, opera singers, DJs (there's an abundance of space for dancing) and more. On one occasion, when the great pianist Lang Lang was staying, we arranged for the delivery of a Steinway grand piano so that he could play for his friends.

As mentioned above, tailor-made menus for memorable dinners are a forte of the staff at Don Arcangelo all'Olmo, and there are numerous spots in which to dine. Tables are laid and decorated with innate elegance and the special atmosphere is further enhanced by flickering candelabra and the liveried, white-gloved waiting team.