June 15, 2007

Europe | Italy | Sicily

Prince Charming

By Nicole Cotroneo

Once an annex to a Norman castle, this Mediterranean hideway is fit for royalty once more.

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Mixing medieval and modern, Sicily’s latest boutique retreat opens this weekend on its southwest shores by Butera. The 64 guestrooms of Falconara Charming House & Resort are divided between a new Club House, set just 200 meters from the Med, and the restored “Fattoria,” which once quartered the servants of a nearby Norman fortress. But rest assured: Falconara’s digs are now fit for guests of greater means. You can idle away the day nursing cocktails at the poolside bar. Or play a few rounds of tennis, then decompress in the spa’s Turkish bath. But don’t forget to venture outside your castle’s walls. The southern coast is littered with treasures — including Agrigento’s Greek ruins, Ragusa’s baroque cathedrals and Naro’s ancient fortresses. But if you choose one place to get your archaeological kicks, make it this: the Valle dei Templi, a World Heritage site of Doric temples dating back to the 6th century B.C.