Monaci delle Terre Nere, Sicily hotel review: a historic estate in the foothills of Mount Etna

Why book Monaci delle Terre Nere? 

For top-tier Sicilian food and romantic design dens scattered throughout the volcanic slopes of this go-slow, soul-nourishing estate. 

Hotel address: Monaci delle Terre Nere, Via Monaci, Via Pietralunga, sn, 95019 Zafferana etnea CT, Italy
Website: monacidelleterrenere.it
Phone number: +39 095 708 3638
Price from: £232 a night

Set the scene 

Soft jazz wafts over a volcanic pool, ice tinkles in glasses of Sicilian gin and tonic and the gentle curve of Etna’s eastern slope towards the Ionian pull eyes over rugged vineyards, olive groves, apricot and clementine trees to where a lush, near tropical green meets the sea. Welcome to one of Sicily’s smartest country hotels – an elevated take on rural simplicity, where the morning mist collecting along vines combing the hills, the distant church bell and cricket soundtrack all soothe any homegrown malaise. Within the peachy, blistered walls of the main house – a carefully renovated 17th-century monastery – a blend of antiquity and avant-garde decor (seemingly the baseline in these stretches), plays host to an extraordinary farm-to-fork operation, granting the hotel its agriturismo status. Outside, uplit nooks in ancient walls guide well-oiled Europeans and elated New Yorkers home to bed after drawn-out evenings, spent drinking the estate’s own wine under the stars. 

The backstory 

As one of Sicily’s most prestigious country hotels, Monaci delle Terre Nere was ahead of its time in leveraging top-notch produce from its volcanic soil for a theatrical, yet classically simple, destination restaurant. Owner and wine connoisseur, Guido Coffa, has skilfully honed an elevated organic and home-grown ethos – and it carries into the design. Coffa respectfully renovated the main building; any contemporary additions are pardoned with sympathetic stones and materials, though the slightly racy modern art makes no apologies. Surrounding it, 60 acres of vineyards, fruit trees, herb gardens and olive groves seem to swallow up a scattering of renovated barns and private villas – all meticulously sewn into this bucolic picture. 

The rooms 

A few renovated rooms in the main house soon grew to 27 across a scattering of restored barns and villas. The design nods to a rural and typically Sicilian aesthetic with sultry, lava-stone walls, chestnut floorboards and thick wooden beams. This rustic picture is artfully sliced by modern glass walls and other up-to-date additions, such as a floating stone-set bed and futuristic lamps, and peppered with modern art. The ambitious blend works: intriguing rather than jarring, much like the estate’s skilful marriage of simplicity and luxury, best summed by a discreet helicopter pad wedged somewhere between old fruit trees and a wild meadow. Designed around a lava flow, the Monaci Villa is the ultimate hideaway if privacy is high on the agenda, yet all suites, from estate to junior, have handsome views of time warp Sicilian countryside. Creamy cushioned sun loungers invite a glass of red with organic roasted almonds from the minibar.

Food and drink 

Monaci delle Terre Nere was a farm-to-fork trailblazer, aligning closely with the slow food movement from its inception as an agriturismo. What is now an abiding theme of most city food scenes was once the preserve of the countryside. The secret may be out, but its founding fathers, such as Monaci delle Terre Nere, are still potent reminders of the importance of soil, careful farming and climate before the produce even enters the kitchen. The estate’s destination restaurant, Locanda Nerello is a masterclass in how to combine this home-spun philosophy with a seriously smart restaurant operation – spread throughout the bygone splendour of the main house, where raunchy modern art and neon signs sit alongside faded frescoes, and hot-on-it waiters line up silver cutlery and paper-thin wine glasses with mathematical precision. Expect photogenic plates such as scabbardfish ragout, ancient courgettes parmigiana, and tender pork belly smothered in rich sauces. The restaurant has its own Etna water menu and a wine menu reflecting Etna’s vineyard status as one-to-watch. It’s advisable to book suppers here before arriving as Sicilians come for special occasions (perhaps the ultimate testimonial). 

Breakfasts of organic fruit, eggs and wildflowers from the farm, black bee honey drizzled on homemade Sicilian bread made from ancient grains and apricot and almond cakes come with a view, perched upon the hillside, with tables either inside or outside a slightly jarring blocky structure. The Daily Monaci, the hotel’s mini-paper placed on each table, is a lovely touch – detailing various classes and activities (whether it's yoga, wine tasting or cooking) every day. 

The spa 

Wellness hasn’t been shoved into the spa category at Monaci delle Terre Nere, but is instead woven into every aspect, from clocking the fresh herbs hanging in the air on the way to your room to waking up to nourishing homemade juices. It’s this all-encompassing approach to wellness that sends guests home feeling refreshed rather than over-indulged. Those after some more literal pampering can reward a long walk through the vineyards with a deep tissue or body mind ritual massage from the compact in-room treatment menu. 

The area  

Fanning out along Etna’s slopes between Catania’s tired rambling splendour and Taormina’s silver-screen panoramics, Monaci delle Terre Nere is well-placed for cultural day jaunts or beach trips. The main attraction, however, is hard to miss – the menacing presence of Mount Etna whose crater is well-worth exploring on organised tours, or even in a thrilling helicopter ride. The local town of Zaffarena offers some light browsing and traditional Sicilian eateries, though Monaci delle Terre Nere’s acres leave plenty of space to breathe (and guests will be excused for not leaving the gates during their stay). 

The service 

A little patchy in places and slightly stiff in the breakfast room, though impeccable in the restaurant where a full white-glove service is rolled out, with a refreshingly unpretentious sommelier who makes olive oil in his spare time. 

For families 

From picking chestnuts in Etna’s crater then roasting them on the fire in Monaci delle Terre Nere’s gardens to egg hunting in the chicken coop, activities abound for children on the estate. High-chairs at breakfast, cots on request in the rooms and the proximity to the sea may cater well to young children, but the restaurant, bar and the serenity underpinning the hotel feels decidedly grown up. 

Eco effort

Monaci delle Terre Nere’s eco-effort is exemplary and permeates almost all elements of the estate. Its zero-kilometre food philosophy where guests enjoy produce from the farm, bio-architecture and renewable energy infrastructure was all well before its time. Guests may soothe their conscience with upcycled sari handbags from the estate’s boutique or reclaimed furnishings and chemical-free paints in the rooms, but this mental shift is relatively fresh within the luxury canon.  

Accessibility for those with mobility impairments

The hilly nature of the hotel makes it tricky for guests with mobility impairments, though golf buggies can be requested for those not able to hike home after eating in the main house. 

Anything left to mention? 

Those looking for the privacy of a remote villa (whether it’s noisy children or honeymoon bliss) should avoid the rooms carved out in the old barn, which are fairly close together.  

It’s worth noting that Monaci delle Terre Nere is one of the few country hotels in Italy to stay open all year – with skiing trips on Etna’s slopes not unheard of (her snowfall is as capricious as her smoky breath), and roaring log fires the perfect accoutrement to the estate’s full-bodied reds. 

Hotel address: Monaci delle Terre Nere, Via Monaci, Via Pietralunga, sn, 95019 Zafferana etnea CT, Italy
Website: monacidelleterrenere.it
Phone number: +39 095 708 3638
Price from: £232 a night