Casa Bendico

A Seasonally Adaptable Ionian Seaview Villa

Tucked naturally into a hillside outside Noto, this architectural take on sustainable Sicilian living was designed by Gaëtan Le Penhuel Architectes and built by regional craftspeople. The monumental residence combines two structures, a main house and an extension, with 360-degree views of the Ionian Sea, Monti Iblei and sun-soaked groves of olives, citrus and almonds.

What sets the design apart, besides its minimalist, brutalist beauty, is its mission to provide a safe, cool haven in a seismically active region threatened by wildfires and excessively high seasonal temperatures. Constructed with an innovative double shell of concrete mixed with pozzolana, or insulating volcanic ash, from Mount Etna, the home takes its cues from brutalist residences set in desert locales of Mexico or the stately Greek temples built closer to home over 2,000 years ago.

With each of its rooms offering open access to the outdoors via sliding wood, Maschrabiyya-styled doors, the interiors are minimal and elemental, with tables and furnishings crafted of cool-to-the-touch quarried travertine from Lazio and a central fireplace mass for use in the cooler months.

Unseen are the residence’s thermal wells, transporting the coolness of inner earth to the rooms, complemented by the design’s intentional cross-ventilation. The deep terrace, marked by Grecian temple-styled pillars, is shaded by a reed roof, and there’s an outdoor kitchen and a second patio with a shower, plus an outdoor area at the adjacent studio/guest suite.

A bit removed from the house, a pool slides into the horizon line, offering distant sea views beyond the green-and-silver vegetation and dappled shade from centuries-old olive trees.

Around

Located on the outskirts of Noto, Sicily’s Baroque beauty and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this home in the hills offers countryside views, with the Ionian Sea sparking on the horizon. It makes a great base for exploring Sicily’s famed Baroque towns—Noto, Catani, Ragusa, Scicli, Modica, Caltagirone, Palazzolo Acreide and Militello, plus the port city of Siracusa, home to astounding archeological sites, museums and the ancient temple of the goddess Athena.

Nearby Noto is a jewel of a city, built of local limestone that reflects the island’s sun and sunsets, its famed cathedral, ancient marketplace and many buzzing cafes, restaurants and tavernas. Nature enthusiasts will want to head from Noto towards Pachino to take in the protected and oh-so-pretty Vendicari Nature Reserve, home to 4,000 forested acres hosting undisturbed marine and bird ecosystems that open to a clear sea and long, golden beaches, including Tonnara, Eloro, Pizzuta, Calamosche, and Marianelli. Sightseers with a love of antiquity should trek to Ortigia, a bit further away, to take in Dionysus’s Cave, Apollo’s Temple and the ruins of the Teatro Romana.

Location

Outside Noto, Sicily, Italy. Nearest airport: Catania (1 hour)

Best time to visit

Year round