A little more
of Acireale.

Acireale · IT

Villa Pennisi

Villa Pennisi is a hidden 19th-century garden in the heart of Acireale, Sicily, tucked behind an austere façade that gives no hint of the botanical treasures within. Originally designed as the grounds of a luxurious thermal hotel, it survived the building speculation that swallowed most of Acireale's old gardens and today remains a rare, intimate oasis beneath the shadow of Mount Etna. The garden is best known for its remarkable specimen trees—including horizontally sprawling Phoenix reclinata palms, a dramatic wrought-iron gazebo draped in wisteria, and a clever architectural folly designed to simulate an eruption of Etna. Each August, the park transforms into a venue for Villa Pennisi in Musica, an internationally regarded summer music festival that opens the garden's gates to concertgoers.