Villa Fegotto

Villa Fegotto is the heart of a nineteenth-century architectural complex of great historical importance, once the seat of the thriving Azienda agricola Fegotto and today a testimony to the entrepreneurship that animated Sicily in the post-unification period.

The manor house, characterized by its imposing neoclassical façade, is surrounded by a formal Italian garden of about one hectare and is located in the centre between two wide courtyards where the daily life of those who gravitated around Fegotto took place. The buildings that overlook the courtyards and those that line the ancient local road – which crossed the property marking its east-west axis – hold the rooms once dedicated to the agricultural production of the company (the granary, the olive oil mill, the monumental wine cellar) or to the needs of the community that lived in Fegotto (the church, the school, the workshops).

Everything has maintained the appearance, atmosphere and charm of the past and thus Fegotto is able to tell an important segment of Sicilian history.

History
The first information about Fegotto dates back to the 17^th century, when the property belonged to the Barons Landolina della Carnicera di Noto. In the following two centuries, the fiefdom passed to two other families, the Cannizzo family and the La Jacona family, who obtained the conversion of their title of Baroni del Patro into Baroni del Fegotto.

In 1812, the fortunes of Fegotto changed radically. Massaro Paolo Rizza obtained the fiefdom and transformed it into a cutting-edge agricultural company, destined to grow over three generations – Paolo was followed by his son Vito and his grandson Evangelista – and to become an expression of the historical period in which the bourgeoisie emerged and became the protagonist of important changes in the history of the Island.

The Company’s activity extended from traditional crops, such as olives, vines and wheat, to innovative and experimental productions, such as silk, cotton and tobacco. Production volumes reached industrial proportions and, at the same time, the members of the Rizza family occupied positions of increasing importance in the society of the time: Paolo was a judge, Vito mayor of Chiaramonte Gulfi and Evangelista a member of the national Parliament.

Between 1867 and 1873, the time of maximum expansion of the business (the fiefdom extended for more than 1200 hectares), Vito and Evangelista began a renovation that involved the entire complex: the wine cellar was enlarged and modernized; the manor house was expanded by adding new rooms equipped and decorated following the most modern techniques; the garden was given the formal layout typical of the Italian garden.

At the end of the last century, after the interruption of the activities and the fragmentation of the property, the current owners started the restoration of the Villa with the aim of recovering the original charm of the ancient fiefdom.

Services
Villa Fegotto is a place to visit, discover and live in.

The historical and ethno-anthropological value of Fegotto makes it a privileged destination for those who want to learn about the history, traditions and culture of the territory. Guided tours can be accompanied by tastings of local products, whose importance is recognized internationally, such as the Monti Iblei DOP extra virgin olive oil and the Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG and Frappato Vittoria DOC wines.

The variety and authenticity of the internal and external spaces also make Villa Fegotto a prestigious and fascinating setting for cultural or recreational events like weddings.

For a deeper immersion in the history and atmosphere of 19^th-century Sicily, it is possible to stay on the main floor of the manor house, recently restored. The rooms have maintained their original layout and appearance; the walls are decorated with geometric and floral motifs and the floors are made of pitch stone or limestone with faux inlays. The furnishings and accessories come from the most renowned Italian companies for quality and design and are in harmony with the peculiarity and value of the context in which they are inserted. The historic garden, with its changing colours and variegated scents, increases the pleasantness of the stay, offering a corner of quiet and contact with nature.