Sicilian Stories

1. A WORDY GOODNIGHT
To wish you goodnight, and to remind you of the polycultural nature of Sicily, that crossroads to all corners of the Mediterranean, we place the history of a Sicilian word on your pillow every night. Each word carries in its etymology the story of three thousand years of encounters, traditions and different cultures, ranging from Greek to Arabic, from Norman to Catalan and French. Cultures that are still “living” today, all there at your fingertips, to be discovered as soon as the sun rises. What’s more they’re just a few kilometres from our resort.

2. ALLEGRACORI (THAT WHICH PUTS JOY IN THE HEART). THE JOY OF SATURDAY
In Sicilian, Saturday is known as the allegracori, because it’s the day set aside for putting joy in one’s heart. Recalling his childhood, Leonardo Sciascia wrote: “We celebrated Saturdays with a song that went: Lu sabatu si chiama allegracori, biatu chi ha una bella moglie (Saturday is the day that puts joy in our hearts, lucky is he who has a beautiful wife).” We too believe that Saturdays put joy in one’s heart, in yours and in ours, and that’s why we have organised a series of special events, including dinners, tastings, games and concerts. You can’t begin to imagine the amount of joy and spontaneity there is in a Sicilian Saturday.

3. SHALL WE DANCE?
Over fifty five years ago, in May 1962, shooting began for the film of Luchino Visconti’s masterpiece Il Gattopardo (The Leopard). One scene in particular has remained in the hearts of many lovers of great cinema. And that is the dance scene in the spectacular ballroom of the Palazzo Valguarnera-Ganci, in Palermo. Remember Claudia Cardinale’s grace and Burt Lancaster’s irresistible charm? They danced a waltz, arranged by Nino Rota from an original score by Giuseppe Verdi. And remember how seductive that amazing couple’s body language was? Well, we would like to invite you to step back to the time when men and women fell in love as they sank into each other’s arms, in tune to the magic of the music. We have a school where you can learn the romantic waltz, and who knows what might happen...

4. CHILDREN, LET’S HUG TREES
If we love nature, nature will love us back. If we hug nature, nature will hug us back. An important ecological lesson for your children, for all of our futures in other words.  What could be more gratifying than receiving a gift of your own tree to look after, even if it’s just for a few days? We will give each child an olive tree from our grounds. And each morning our young guests and their parents can go out and greet it with a hug. All together, so they can feel the force of nature and the love that inspires us every day.

5. OUR GUESTS AS AMBASSADORS OF TRADITION
Sicily is a land of ancient traditions. But traditions need to be “reborn” each day, to renew their energy, otherwise they die. That’s why we have created a school of ceramics and a school of puppet theatre, run by the island’s master craftsmen. What about the pupils? They are the young and old guests of Verdura Resort. What is its aim? To discover some of Sicily’s high culture at first hand, and to keep it alive by spreading the word and praising its beauty far and wide. 

6. A FLOWER, A MASSAGE FOR EACH SEASON
From February through to November, Sicily is in bloom. And in each season our spa offers you a series of treatments, peels and massages, inspired by those delectable fragrances.  Here is the calendar for “blossoming anew” hand in hand with nature, and for discovering the island’s fragile beauty:

• February/March – blossoming of the almond trees
• April – the orange blossom
• Late August/September – ripening and harvest of grapes
• October/November – olive harvest