Corten House, a vacation home rental in Modica, Sicily

Old and New Collide Elegantly Near Modica

A skillfully renovated stone home on the outskirts of the Sicilian town of Modica draws on its original hewn-stone architecture for its rugged beauty, updated by a contemporary glass enclosed annex as its perfect complement. With a 17-meter swimming pool crowning the elevated lot, the villa offers fantastic views of the Sicilian countryside, even from the water.

Three bedrooms and bathrooms in the 150sqm space reveal renovated exposed stone that's cut with wide picture windows. The ground floor follows a contemporary, open floor plan, with the kitchen and living room lined by oversized windows opening to an adjacent veranda. The upstairs space comprises two bedrooms, a double and a single.

The property’s outdoor space is appropriately Mediterranean alfresco, with a panoramic patio space outfitted with a lounge area, outdoor poolside kitchen and the glimmering, 17-meter swimming pool.

Around

About five minutes’ drive from Modica’s historic center, the villa is close to the area's leading attractions and services. Baroque Modica is known for its beautiful architecture and was once a famed chocolate-making center of Italy. Nestled in a valley, one of eight of the UNESCO Heritage-designated ‘Val di Noto’ towns of southeastern Sicily, the old town’s extravagant Baroque palaces and churches are connected by maze-like streets and steep stairs. There are two parts of town, Modica Alta and Bassa, served by the Trenino Barocco, a guided train that recounts the town’s history. The town’s shops and boutiques are centered around Corso Umberto, a palace-lined street with theaters, museums, and curlicued Baroque mansions.

Modica is also known as the “city of 100 bells,” its churches a swirling mass of carved stone. One of the most impressive is the town’s Duomo di San Giorgio, famed for its city views and staggering scale. Another standout structure in Modica is the Castello dei Conti, a relic of the town’s pre-earthquake medieval days, dating back to the 13th century. Check out the neighboring Torre dell’ Orologia, an 18th-century watchtower built on the remains of a lookout destroyed by the earthquake of 1693.

For many years, Sicily was Spanish, and due to its geographic location on the trade route to Latin America, the island became a center of chocolate making, following the Aztec traditions brought by the Conquistadors. Here, as in ancient Aztec lands, the chocolate is prepared dark and aromatic, often spiked with chili peppers, cinnamon, vanilla or even local red wine. The island’s oldest chocolate shop is located in town, and there’s a small Museo del Cioccolato. Those seeking the sea can head to the Marina di Modica beach area or nearby Sampieri Beach, both offering stretches of sand for sunning and splashing.