Among 10,000 olive trees Why relaxing in the south of Sicily is worthwhile
The Azienda Agricola Mandranova farm covers around 200 hectares.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Mandranova has around 10,000 olive trees on the farm.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Mandranova is a family business. Father Giuseppe and son Gabriele look after the farm with the olive and almond trees and the production of the oil, ...
Image: Vanessa Büchel
... mother Silvia is mainly responsible for the management of the hospitality business. She is the good soul of the agriturismo and a master in the kitchen. Son Gabriele is a trained chef and also helps out in the kitchen.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The farm's own olive oil is a must when cooking.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
During a cooking course, guests learn how to make the typical Sicilian arancini.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
During the course, Sicilian specialties are created, sometimes in a very classic way and then again with a creative twist.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Cannolo, a dessert originating from Sicily, is also a must.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The dough for the cannoli is deep-fried in oil ...
Image: Vanessa Büchel
... and then filled with a sweet ricotta cream.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The main house is inhabited by the sixth generation.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Witnesses of times gone by can be found all over the house
Image: Vanessa Büchel
As you wander through the rooms, you feel like you are part of the family.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The living room with its many windows invites you to linger.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Or a game of chess.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
These boxes are from another time.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
There are arches as passageways in the house.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The family dog Anita (right) keeps watch in the courtyard. Here with the dog of a guest.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
In summer, the courtyard is also used for evening meals.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The evening atmosphere casts an idyllic light on the Mandranova.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The Mandranova is committed to social engagement, which is why they are part of the "Artist in Residence" program. This year, Swiss artist Beat Zoderer left his mark.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Zoderer was inspired by the colors of the island for the paintings he created during his two weeks at Mandranova.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The house was not originally intended as a hotel, but as a normal home for a Sicilian family.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Since 2006, the Mandranova has been offering overnight accommodation.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
From the pool you have a fantastic view of the surrounding countryside.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Many guests return - for them it is above all the family atmosphere that they appreciate.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
A jeep tour reveals the size of the farm.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Giuseppe is happy with the olives - it should be a good harvest.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The almonds have already been picked and are in the processing phase.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Next up are the olives.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
It takes a while before they are all picked.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
About one kilo of olives yields 0.15 to 0.2 liters of oil.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The Azienda Agricola Mandranova farm covers around 200 hectares.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Mandranova has around 10,000 olive trees on the farm.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Mandranova is a family business. Father Giuseppe and son Gabriele look after the farm with the olive and almond trees and the production of the oil, ...
Image: Vanessa Büchel
... mother Silvia is mainly responsible for the management of the hospitality business. She is the good soul of the agriturismo and a master in the kitchen. Son Gabriele is a trained chef and also helps out in the kitchen.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The farm's own olive oil is a must when cooking.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
During a cooking course, guests learn how to make the typical Sicilian arancini.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
During the course, Sicilian specialties are created, sometimes in a very classic way and then again with a creative twist.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Cannolo, a dessert originating from Sicily, is also a must.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The dough for the cannoli is deep-fried in oil ...
Image: Vanessa Büchel
... and then filled with a sweet ricotta cream.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The main house is inhabited by the sixth generation.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Witnesses of times gone by can be found all over the house
Image: Vanessa Büchel
As you wander through the rooms, you feel like you are part of the family.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The living room with its many windows invites you to linger.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Or a game of chess.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
These boxes are from another time.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
There are arches as passageways in the house.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The family dog Anita (right) keeps watch in the courtyard. Here with the dog of a guest.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
In summer, the courtyard is also used for evening meals.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The evening atmosphere casts an idyllic light on the Mandranova.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The Mandranova is committed to social engagement, which is why they are part of the "Artist in Residence" program. This year, Swiss artist Beat Zoderer left his mark.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Zoderer was inspired by the colors of the island for the paintings he created during his two weeks at Mandranova.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The house was not originally intended as a hotel, but as a normal home for a Sicilian family.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Since 2006, the Mandranova has been offering overnight accommodation.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
From the pool you have a fantastic view of the surrounding countryside.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Many guests return - for them it is above all the family atmosphere that they appreciate.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
A jeep tour reveals the size of the farm.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Giuseppe is happy with the olives - it should be a good harvest.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The almonds have already been picked and are in the processing phase.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Next up are the olives.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
It takes a while before they are all picked.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
About one kilo of olives yields 0.15 to 0.2 liters of oil.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
In the middle of the arid landscape of southern Sicily, Mandranova invites you to take an idyllic break in the countryside. The agriturismo has over 10,000 olive trees that defy the harsh local weather conditions.
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- The owner of Agriturismo Mandranova in southern Sicily explains during a visit that the region urgently needs rain.
- The Mandranova farm has around 10,000 olive and almond trees and produces around 40,000 liters of olive oil every year.
- The estate is a wonderful place to relax, with a walk through the olive groves taking you far away from the stresses of everyday life.
- Despite dry periods, the trees thrive. This is thanks to a sophisticated groundwater system.
It hasn't rained in the area around Agrigento for about six months, as Sicilian Giuseppe Di Vincenzo says. The gnarled olive trees of Mandranova stand in rows, nestled in the arid landscape. Despite the lack of water, they bear juicy fruit and are irrigated by an ingenious groundwater system.
Giuseppe picks one of the green olives from the tree and squeezes it in his fingers. Juice oozes out of the top. The harvest is due soon, explains the owner of the agriturismo in southern Sicily.
In his previous life, Giuseppe was a banker in Palermo. In 1995, he planted the first olive trees on his family's land and has been leading a life away from the hustle and bustle of the city ever since. Today, the farm has around 10,000 trees, which yield fruit for around 40,000 liters of olive oil every year. Most of the production is sent to Japan. "They appreciate good quality," says Giuseppe with a smile.
The family dog, Anita, walks alongside the entrepreneur with the raffia hat. The two of them walk between the olive groves towards the old Land Rover. In the shadows of the trees, Giuseppe reaches for the branches and nods with satisfaction. This year should be a good harvest.
When the rain arrives, we toast with champagne
The farmer drives us over hill and dale, while Anita runs alongside the car with her tail wagging. The sun beats down mercilessly from a cloudless sky, but Giuseppe predicts the long-awaited rainfall for the evening.
If his prophecy comes true, he promises, the bottle of champagne that his son Gabriele received for his wedding will be popped.
Gabriele works in the Mandranova family business. Just like his mother Silvia. The couple's second son, Giovanni, currently still lives in Milan, where, like Giuseppe, he used to work as a banker.
However, the proud father says that the family will be reunited from January, when Giovanni will also join the family business and leave the everyday life of a banker behind him.
While Giuseppe and Gabriele take care of the 200-hectare farm with its olive and almond trees and the production of oil, Silvia mainly looks after the management of the hospitality business. She is the good soul of the agriturismo.
Son Gabriele is a trained chef and also helps out in the kitchen, where Sicilian classics and exciting new creations are made from local and fresh ingredients.
"Cooking is a family affair"
At lunch or dinner, guests can discover the culinary spectrum that the Italian island has to offer. Over the centuries, a broad cuisine has developed, influenced by the various cultures that once ruled Sicily. Fish couscous can be found on the menu, as can arancini - balls of risotto rice - which were invented with the help of leftovers from the fridge.
The Valle dei Templi is an archaeological site south of the current city center of Agrigento and a popular excursion destination in the region.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The remains of Akragas, one of the most important ancient Greek cities in Sicily, stand on a hill.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
From there, travelers have a wonderful view over the valley - and the arid landscape.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
There are several temples to discover in the Valle dei Templi, each dedicated to its own deity.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The Temple of Concordia, which was built around 450 BC, is one of the best-preserved Doric temples of ancient Greece.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Around three quarters of an hour's drive from Mandranova is another attraction: the Scala dei Turchi.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
This is a gleaming white rock that resembles steps. Important: you used to be able to walk on the rock, but it is currently closed.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The Valle dei Templi is an archaeological site south of the current city center of Agrigento and a popular excursion destination in the region.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The remains of Akragas, one of the most important ancient Greek cities in Sicily, stand on a hill.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
From there, travelers have a wonderful view over the valley - and the arid landscape.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
There are several temples to discover in the Valle dei Templi, each dedicated to its own deity.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
The Temple of Concordia, which was built around 450 BC, is one of the best-preserved Doric temples of ancient Greece.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Around three quarters of an hour's drive from Mandranova is another attraction: the Scala dei Turchi.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
This is a gleaming white rock that resembles steps. Important: you used to be able to walk on the rock, but it is currently closed.
Image: Vanessa Büchel
Although Gabriele trained as a chef, he originally learned how to prepare Sicilian delicacies from his mother. "Cooking is a family affair, the secret recipes are passed down through the generations," says Silvia as she stirs in an oversized saucepan bubbling with stock. She skims off a little and pours it into another pot, where the risotto rice for the famous arancini is bubbling away.
During a cooking course at Mandranova, guests learn more about the culture of Sicily, such as how pasta al norma or arancini are prepared and why Palermo and Catania argue about the correct ending for the name of the small rice balls. Arancine or arancini - they taste delicious anyway.
Sicilian olive oil tastes more intense
Whether for lunch or dinner, the tables at Mandranova are laden with the restaurant's own olive oil. Giuseppe twists off the black cap and hands over the bottle: "It tastes good with everything, but our olive oil develops its full flavor with a piece of bread."
The Sicilian smiles kindly and holds out the bread basket to me. The olive oil in Sicily does indeed taste much more intense, fresher - and simply that little bit better.
It's not just at dinner that you feel like you're part of the Mandranova family. The lovingly furnished rooms of the typical country house, which is run by Giuseppe and Silvia in the sixth generation, are brimming with history. Ancient Guetzli tins and yellowed pictures in magnificently decorated frames bear witness to another era and are reminiscent of years long gone.
"Authentic, committed, passionate" are the three words Silvia uses to describe Mandranova. Guests also appreciate the family atmosphere. The owner of the boutique hotel says: "Many come back, it's like coming home."
She finds it particularly touching when the little boy from the family vacation has grown up and finally comes back with his own children.
Rain is sorely needed in southern Sicily
Giuseppe's prediction was right. Peter means well and the rain comes, filling the otherwise always empty river bed behind the main building. During the night, the rain pelting down hard on the wooden roof of the stone house, thunder and lightning startle the guests out of their sleep.
In the middle of the night, the thunderstorm lights up the sky and a smile spreads: Because nature will be happy, and so will Giuseppe.
The cork pops at the aperitif the next day. Because as the owner of Mandranova says: "Promises are kept!" The one-off rainfall was abundant and must be celebrated, even though the riverbed dried out again shortly afterwards.
But the rain god has heard the Sicilian farmers for once, and who knows whether he will grant them leniency again soon. For Giuseppe, one thing is clear: "The rain was sorely needed."
Good to know
- How to get there: Edelweiss flies non-stop to Catania all year round - almost daily in summer and up to four times a week from October to March. Bookable at flyedelweiss.com.
- Where to stay: A classic double room with breakfast is available at Mandranova for from 190 euros per night. Lunch and dinner are available in the agriturismo's restaurant. If you want to learn more about Sicilian cuisine, you can book a cooking course at Mandranova for 100 euros.
- Take a look: The Mandranova is located in the village of Palma di Montechiaro , not far from Agrigento, which is famous for its archaeological sites, the Valle dei Templi. The Scala dei Turchi is also worth a visit. A gleaming white rock, reminiscent of steps, awaits visitors there. Important: it used to be possible to walk on the rock, but it is currently closed. A few kilometers from Mandranova, travelers will also find the coast with beautiful beaches.
This article was written as part of a press trip.
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