Palazzo Previtera, a luxury guesthouse, contemporary art gallery and living museum situated in the quiet town of Linguaglossa, on the northern slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily is opening a new restaurant, cosy bar and two new suites from 1 July.
The new intimate 15 seat restaurant, called Previtera Kitchen under the Sicilian Executive Chef Alberto Carpinteri from the two Michelin Star restaurant Ciccio Sultano, will offer a five-course tasting menu featuring a reimagining of Sicilian cuisine using local ingredients combined with a sophisticated pared-back aesthetic.
The dishes will feature local ingredients such as citrus olive oil, foraged wild garlic, herbs, figs and borage flowers from Etna as well as fermented mandarin and citrus. Sample dishes include strawberry tomato consommé with yuzu kosho; ravioli with peas and asparagus and roasted black pork chop with wild garlic, all served with Etna wines. The restaurant, which will be open every evening in the summer, will be an exciting addition to the culinary scene in Linguaglossa.
Housed in the Medieval part of the Palazzo, under vaulted ceilings, the restaurant features original wooden Sicilian cabinets, wood and marble tables and chairs upholstered in colourful fabric matched with a contemporary open white marble kitchen with copper sinks. Tables will be decorated with the palazzo’s own table linen collection in collaboration with leading Tuscan textile manufacturer Busatti and inspired by the original interiors of the Palazzo. The Sicilian hand-painted ceramic plates feature the palm tree symbol of the Previtera family.
Tucked away in an ancient storage house overlooking the gardens is the new bar, which can be entered from the street and the palazzo gardens. The space has been designed to incorporate the original lava stone as arcading and together with sand resin floors and artwork on the walls, has the rustic charm of an old Sicilian bar. The bar will feature a curated selection of Etna wines, as well as cocktails such as a signature Sambuca, using wild sambuca flowers foraged on Etna with syrup and gin and an Etna Vermouth served with charcuterie boards.
Two New Suites Unveiled
One new suite is positioned in a tower room above the bar and features a bright peacock and flower wallpaper with wooden floors, green fireclay tiles in the bathroom, Frette linens and ample living space.
The second new suite is situated in a reclaimed brutalist building with views overlooking the gardens and the historic centre of Linguaglossa. The suite has parquet flooring throughout and contemporary furniture including chairs designed by renowned designer Matteo Nunziati for Molteni, modern optical tiles in the bathroom and 1930’s golden wall lamps with crystal pendants.
About Palazzo Previtera
Palazzo Previtera is one-of-a-kind, filled with history, restored silk fabrics, ornate painted ceilings and original floor tiles, as well as contemporary art and mid-century touches. Opened in 2023 after a 10-year restoration by Alfio Puglisi, a descendant of the family that built the Palazzo in 1649, it sleeps a total of 21 people in six double rooms and two cottages.
There are also museum rooms that preserve over 500 years of Sicilian history and the art gallery in the cellar beneath the Palazzo is a leading centre for contemporary art in Sicily, called SARP. Guests can be introduced to resident artists either over breakfast or at work in the nearby studio in an old hazelnut barn, just a few minutes’ walk away. Last year a new infinity pool in the garden with view of Mount Etna was introduced.
Palazzo Previtera also offers a series of experiences for guests interested in immersing themselves in Sicilian culture. These included cooking classes in the palazzo’s retro kitchen designed by Raymond Loewy in 1935, foraging trips to a nearby hazelnut farm in search of the Etna Hazelnut, fennel, wild asparagus and herbs and lessons in Etna cheese making. Guests can also learn traditional embroidery, as seen in the palazzo itself, in a local home in Castiglione di Sicilia famous for its embroidery, on the northwest of Etna.
Rooms start from Euros 200 per night with breakfast for two. The tasting menu at Previtera Kitchen costs Euros 100 per person.
Palazzo Previtera is one hour from Catania airport.