http://www.masseriasusafa.com/ All in One en-us Copyright © 2009 info@masseriasusafa.com (Masseria Susafa) info@ultimoweb.com (Riccardo Castagna) Sun, 07 Jun 2009 14:58:40 +0200 2009-06-07T14:58:40+02:00 http://www.masseriasusafa.com/ http://www.masseriasusafa.com/it/images/logoms_small.png ]]> http://www.masseriasusafa.com/ info@masseriasusafa.com (Masseria Susafa) http://www.masseriasusafa.com/#item201 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:59:33 +0200 2009-06-07T15:59:33+02:00 2009-06-07T15:59:33+02:00 01) intro Agriturism on wikipedia]]> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agritourism info@masseriasusafa.com (Masseria Susafa) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agritourism Sun, 07 Jun 2009 14:29:17 +0200 2009-06-07T14:29:17+02:00 2009-06-07T14:29:17+02:00 02) agriturism Here, in a peaceful setting with lovely surroundings that have remained unchanged for years, you'll find it easy to simply make time for yourself and discover some of the origins of Sicilian culture. You are staying in a piece of history that has a story of its own to tell, about people and practices that are, perhaps, not so very distant from us after all.  Staying as a guest at Susafa, you really are stepping into an older, more genuine lifestyle, where you can restore your deeper sense of time and enjoy the gentle rhythm of country life, with its slower pace; as the silence enfolds you, you'll find peace and tranquillity and feel as though you are living in a world apart, sensing the need to slow down in order to savour it better.  Masseria Susafa is owned and run by the Saeli-Rizzuto family, who have owned and farmed the property for five generations, carefully passing down their centuries-old, fascinating country traditions. Today, the owners invite guests to share that genuine country life, the only modification being that the old-fashioned austerity of the past has been carefully substituted with all the comforts of a beautifully furnished, tasteful holiday resort.  This was the idea behind converting the whole farm into a welcoming home, giving that all-important feeling of being in one's own home, with the addition of staff on hand to help you with anything you require. ]]> http://www.masseriasusafa.com/ info@masseriasusafa.com (Masseria Susafa) http://www.masseriasusafa.com/#item204 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 14:28:27 +0200 2009-06-07T14:28:27+02:00 2009-06-07T14:28:27+02:00 03) home page Why tell the story of Susafa? Because the story of Susafa is really the story of a whole area, with all its events and deeds involving local people and places - a microcosm that speaks of and testifies to an older Sicily, which, nonetheless, still exists today.  It is a story about men, and work, about lives lived according to the slow rhythms of nature, and according to the seasons, where the day began in the last hour of dark before dawn, and ended at the first sign of sundown.  These were the men who, when their daily manual labour in the fields drew to an end, turned and headed back to the farmhouse called 'Case Nuove Susafa' where they lived with their families. The big homestead with its huge storerooms remains an important example of country building; its size and volume of agricultural production speak of a period of economic growth for the area.  The construction of the houses was almost certainly completed around 1890. They were built next to a nucleus of older buildings that can still be seen, dating back to the second half of the 1700s. The older structures belonging to the Catholic church were bought by the Saeli family after the unification of Italy.  The high, thick, fortified walls protected the inhabitants from the much-feared raids by brigands; at sundown, the doors were bolted and nobody was allowed in or out until the following morning. Guards would spend the night behind the iron grilles, watching for any suspicious movement, ready to shoot at the first sign of danger.  Here, as well as in the fields, a collective lifestyle was lived out in miniscule proportions, but represented a whole world of country life. Here, the days were permeated with old sounds of the past, janglings that are now forgotten, the chatter of a sort of sing-song dialect, and shouts as the animals were urged in or out of the farmstead, pulling carts full of produce that were destined for the great, imposing storehouses which still overwhelm and fascinate the visitor with their monumental scale.  In those days, the women waited for their husbands, fathers or brothers to return and ran the household, working in the farmhouse, dressed in heavy shawls during the snowy chill of winter, or bare-armed in the summer heat, and doing "cosi di fimmini" - women's work.  You can still see the old ovens where the women would bake the bread that was given out to the men as they left for the fields, with a little piece of something to eat with it, meant to last for the whole day.  It must have been quite a sight when, sitting at long tables, the women would wait as the mules filed into the storerooms with panniers full of fresh almonds; having unloaded them, they opened the almonds by striking them with a stone, splitting the green husks and extracting the fruit, which was divided into "li mennuli duri" and "li mennuli muddisi" - the hard and the soft almonds.  The air around them became heavy with a sweet, almost sensual fragrance that clung to those present long after the day's work was over.]]> http://www.masseriasusafa.com/ info@masseriasusafa.com (Masseria Susafa) http://www.masseriasusafa.com/#item205 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 14:26:26 +0200 2009-06-07T14:26:26+02:00 2009-06-07T14:26:26+02:00 04) history The room with the old millstone, where the wine used to be produced, has been converted into a bar area and a music and Home Theatre area, with a 110" screen.  It's a comfortable room, perfect for relaxing alone or in company, perhaps sipping sweet wines from our bar such as Passito, Moscato, Malvasia or Marsala, some of the choicest wines of the Sicilian tradition, or other specialities such as an amaro or some grappa…or perfect for spending a warm evening curled up on the sofa in front of the fire on colder days.  The family photographs on the walls show scenes from farming life around the homestead, and are a fascinating testimony to the history of the Saeli family; they give the room a warm, welcoming feel.  As well as the photos, there are distinctive smells that speak just as clearly of the past, coming from the old, unused barrels in the room, reminding us of past years - who knows how many? - spent fermenting the wine; or the huge jars that give off a dense fragrance, where the new oil was stored at the end of long harvesting processes which still take place today on the olive groves of the farm.  What used to be the old calves' stalls has now been transformed into a games room with a TV, games table and a collection of books and magazines for guests.  The terrace, once used to lay the almonds and tomato extract out in the sun, provides an extraordinary view over the whole surrounding countryside.  During the bright days of spring, you can enjoy the first warmth of the sun on comfortable sun beds. Throughout the hot summer, a canopy provides a cool, pleasant break from the heat as you sip an iced drink of water and 'zammu' (aniseed).  Along the same theme of all-round care, guests are also invited to relax and cool down at our lovely swimming pool, for water is another important element of the earth in total relaxation.]]> http://www.masseriasusafa.com/ info@masseriasusafa.com (Masseria Susafa) http://www.masseriasusafa.com/#item206 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:23:12 +0200 2009-06-07T15:23:12+02:00 2009-06-07T15:23:12+02:00 05) facilities The restaurant "Il Granaio" is a setting with extraordinary character, having once been, as its name suggests, the old granary of the farm.  The stone walls and the austere architecture of its carefully restored pointed arches, the great fireplace at the end of the room, the warm terracotta floors and the carefully designed lighting make it an impressive room that is really quite unique.  Top service from our waiting staff and the care with which our chefs create the dishes will make your meal a wholly satisfying experience.  "Il Granaio" offers set or alla carte menus based on Italian cuisine, but with a special emphasis on the immense variety of local traditional gastronomy.  In our dishes, we use the very freshest ingredients, produced by ourselves or locally, and selected personally by the chef in order to guarantee products that are so fresh, they were picked that morning. The wine list includes some of the best wines produced in Sicily, as well as a small selection of some of the best-known national wines.  Our dishes include  Antipasti: fruit and vegetables in batter - vegetable rissoles - courgette fritters - bruschettes - pies - grilled ricotta - aubergine, artichoke or apple "caponata"- crochettes with milk or ricotta and wild fennel  First course: fresh pasta with sausage and wild vegetables - risotto with hazelnut, raisins and gorgonzola - risotto with pumpkin, bacon and taleggio cheese - risotto with artichokes, peas, wild fennel and fontina cheese - lasagne pie - vegetable soup - gnocchi with cream of carrot and walnut - vegetable or meat couscous.  Main course: mixed meat grill - rabbit with chestnuts - lamb curry - pork in milk - pork ragout.  Dessert: sfoglio polizzano (a typical cake from Polizzi) - tiramisù with ricotta and glazed chestnuts - blancmange - white chocolate Bavarian cream with soft fruit sauce - sweet ricotta fritters - fried bread dough with homemade jams - cannoli (Sicilian pastry tubes stuffed with ricotta or cream).]]> http://www.masseriasusafa.com/ info@masseriasusafa.com (Masseria Susafa) http://www.masseriasusafa.com/#item207 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:21:12 +0200 2009-06-07T15:21:12+02:00 2009-06-07T15:21:12+02:00 06) dining Thanks to the vast proportions of some of the rooms and buildings on the farm, we are able to arrange receptions in truly dramatic settings, with impressive indoor and outdoor lighting effects. Up to two hundred people may be hosted indoors, and four hundred outdoors.]]> http://www.masseriasusafa.com/ info@masseriasusafa.com (Masseria Susafa) http://www.masseriasusafa.com/#item208 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:10:09 +0200 2009-06-07T15:10:09+02:00 2009-06-07T15:10:09+02:00 07) receptions Understanding culture, popular customs, traditions and behaviour is the key to getting past the merely visual heritage of Sicily. Monuments and landscape are obvious aspects of Sicily, but much of Sicilian history can also be revealed through its gastronomic tradition. Throughout the island, recipes and culinary secrets are inseparable from age-old wisdom passed down over the generations, communicating as much to us as a book or a photo.  Cookery courses held at Susafa:  "La cucina del contadino" - Take part in making bread with the 'crescente', an old method where the bread rises thanks to a piece of fermenting dough kept from the day before. There is a minimum number of participants (12) and a pleasant day is spent where you cook bread focacce in the old wood oven, topping them in the traditional way with olive oil, tomato and oregano or with fresh ricotta (all the ingredients are produced on the farm). The real enthusiasts can help with the morning preparation of the ricotta, or with picking the oregano and tomatoes.  "La cucina di nonna Grazia" - This, on the other hand, involves more complex preparations for those who wish to understand the Sicilian culinary tradition a little more in depth. During this course, you can take part in preparing one or two antipasti (depending on degree of difficulty), a first course, a main course and vegetables, and a dessert, over a period of at least 3 days.]]> http://www.masseriasusafa.com/ info@masseriasusafa.com (Masseria Susafa) http://www.masseriasusafa.com/#item209 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:08:05 +0200 2009-06-07T15:08:05+02:00 2009-06-07T15:08:05+02:00 08) cookery courses The farm has 13 guestrooms, with a sleeping capacity of 30 places, as well as an appartment with three double bedrooms, a bathroom and kitchen for those who wish to stay longer and enjoy a little more independence.  Each room has an en-suite bathroom with shower and has adjustable climate-control. Guests may choose from the standard double, triple, four-bed or superior double.  The rooms have been created from the homes that were originally built for workers and their families. Restoration work on the rooms has been carefully carried out to maximise comfort and ensure hotel quality, without losing the feel of a Sicilian country home with wooden beams, traditional plaster walls, floors in Sicilian terracotta, with original antique tiles added as a feature, and exposed stone walls.]]> http://www.masseriasusafa.com/ info@masseriasusafa.com (Masseria Susafa) http://www.masseriasusafa.com/#item210 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:05:38 +0200 2009-06-07T15:05:38+02:00 2009-06-07T15:05:38+02:00 09) rooms Prices range from €70 to €150.  Prices are per night for a room, with breakfast included.  Further information on prices and availability are on BOOK NOW.  Look there also for our special offers.]]> http://www.masseriasusafa.com/ info@masseriasusafa.com (Masseria Susafa) http://www.masseriasusafa.com/#item211 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:01:45 +0200 2009-06-07T15:01:45+02:00 2009-06-07T15:01:45+02:00 10) prices The closest airport is Palermo (Punta Raisi), about 110km away, where it is possible to rent a car. Catania airport is 130km away.  The best way to reach us is by taking the A19 road from Palermo to Catania, and taking the exit at Tremonzelli (also marked as km73 along the road).  Follow indications to Contrada Susafa for about 9km, or to Vallelunga, and you will quickly find the way by following signs.]]> http://www.masseriasusafa.com/ info@masseriasusafa.com (Masseria Susafa) http://www.masseriasusafa.com/#item212 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 13:38:29 +0200 2009-06-07T13:38:29+02:00 2009-06-07T13:38:29+02:00 11) location The best way to spend your time at Susafa is in doing simple things, as people once did, seeing around the area to appreciate its beauty.  During the summer, you can watch the sheep being milked in the early hours of the morning, and the ricotta being prepared. Reading a book in the shade of the pine tree, surrounded by the sound of crickets, picking ripe heads of grain, watching the threshing or picking wild grasses and vegetables is one of the best ways to spend the day.  A day out with the mountain bikes along the paths of varying difficulty doesn't just take you through beautiful countryside, but is great for feeling fit in the most natural way possible.  Take a long walk, following the herds that move across the fields each day, where the hues of the grain have coloured the land since Roman times, from the intense green of spring to the warm gold of summer - a quite unique experience.  In spring, for the keen walkers, the "Balata" hills above the farm are well worth getting to know. Following the paths that we will show you, breathe in the inebriating smells of the countryside, with wild mint, broom, oregano and wild fennel, and enjoy a glimpse of authentic Mediterranean nature, unspoilt by modern intensive farming.  For a period of about 20 days during October and November, you can book a ride on the off-road vehicle and come out to the olive harvest on the groves belonging to the property, about 30 km away.  About 30 minutes away by car, near the village of Buonfornello, you can do a round of the 18-hole golf course there.  In Castellana Sicula, about 16 km away by road, you can book a horse ride and be accompanied by a guide along the paths in the Madonie national park.  Thanks to its central location in Sicily, Susafa is a perfect strategic point to stay in to visit the many historic sites around the island, reachable within an hour by car, such as: Palermo, Cefalù, the temples in Agrigento, the mosaics in Piazza Armerina, the pretty, somewhat closer, villages of the Madonie (Polizzi Generosa, Petralia Soprana, Castelbuono, Gangi), and the beautiful Sperlinga.  At the farmhouse, you will find plenty of information and illustrated booklets on itineraries and activities for enjoying historical or natural attractions. ]]> http://www.masseriasusafa.com/ info@masseriasusafa.com (Masseria Susafa) http://www.masseriasusafa.com/#item213 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 13:25:18 +0200 2009-06-07T13:25:18+02:00 2009-06-07T13:25:18+02:00 12) activities ]]> http://www.masseriasusafa.com/ info@masseriasusafa.com (Masseria Susafa) http://www.masseriasusafa.com/#item214 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 12:28:27 +0200 2009-06-07T12:28:27+02:00 2009-06-07T12:28:27+02:00 13) photo gallery info@masseriasusafa.com ]]> http://www.masseriasusafa.com/en/home.php info@masseriasusafa.com (Masseria Susafa) http://www.masseriasusafa.com/#item215 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 10:30:03 +0200 2009-06-07T10:30:03+02:00 2009-06-07T10:30:03+02:00 14) contact click here to contact the webmaster]]> http://www.ultimoweb.com/posta/index.php info@masseriasusafa.com (Masseria Susafa) http://www.ultimoweb.com/posta/index.php Sun, 07 Jun 2009 10:28:15 +0200 2009-06-07T10:28:15+02:00 2009-06-07T10:28:15+02:00 15) webmaster click here to contact the graphic designer]]> http://www.gianpaolocastagna.com/ info@masseriasusafa.com (Masseria Susafa) http://www.gianpaolocastagna.com/ Sun, 07 Jun 2009 10:18:25 +0200 2009-06-07T10:18:25+02:00 2009-06-07T10:18:25+02:00 16) graphic