Compass Cultura

On a beautiful day you can take a drive north of Mount Etna towards the Peloritani and Nebrodi Mountains and visit the Argimusco, a site in the territory of Montalbano Elicona (Messina) which was awarded the most beautiful medieval town in Italy in 2015. Although a vast portion of the scientific community is inclined to believe that the rocks have been modeled by atmospheric agents, this doesn’t mean that the site has never been occupied by the human being, as demonstrated by the discovery of a number of burials and pools carved in the rock to collect rainwater. The location of the Argimusco, combined with its 360-degree view over the horizon, might have been the ideal characteristics for the primitive man to use this place as a primordial observatory and produce an actual astronomical calendar to do rituals related to religion and the cycles of nature. A beautiful afternoon walk in the Argimusco will connect you with the wild nature and will reward you with the surreal atmosphere of an esoteric place, an amazing sunset and a breathtaking sky full of stars at night.

When we think about Sicily, the first image that pops up in our mind is probably a place strongly connected to agriculture and farming, where the typical Sicilian type is a man with large and worn-out hands working the fields, breeding cattle and producing ricotta cheese. At the end of the tour there is the possibility to taste a few plates of the Sicilian tradition prepared by the talented chef Rita Russotto or even join her in a tailored cooking class that will make you discover how tradition and innovation can combine in the kitchen. A large villa with outdoor pool in an Arabic courtyard surrounded by lush vegetation, elegant interiors eclectically adorned with paintings, statues and elements of the Sicilian culture, a big indoor open-space and a gym. Gli Aromi’, like having a classic aperitivo at sunset during a live gig set in a beautiful open-air theater or taking part in a yoga class to forget about the hectic city life.

As we aim at giving you the most genuine contact with our local culture, we hope that you will be very fluent with this one when we all turn this sad page of our history and are finally able to travel without worries, but only with a heart full of joy and curiosity. Imagine yourself getting rid of that sweater and sporting your best spring/summer attire to discover an ancient land blessed with the sunlight that for centuries has attracted several populations. A place where you can walk around the ruins of ancient cities that have left a mark in History discovering that here is where various Greek myths have happened, or sip a glass of fine wine while admiring one of the many beautiful landscapes that Sicily offers, or maybe enjoy a day outdoors hiking on Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe. This whole read is just a wish that this all happens soon and we will be ready to hug you again, greeting you like our oldest friend even if we have just met, shaking hands for hours and giving a kiss on each cheek to say bye.

We in Sicily have been seeing a lower rate of infection compared to other regions in Italy and we have already seen the curve of infection point downwards days ago. Sicily has been following the Italian Government’s guidelines to safeguard its citizens and visitors, and a variety of factors have been blessed us with a lower impact and overall lower rate of infections and casualties. The hospitality industry is looking at putting measures in place to safeguard peoples’ health and offer a safe travel experience to citizens, tourists and visitors. In this exceptional circumstances Compass Cultura has been putting safety and its client’s health first and foremost by sanitising all its holiday homes and by making face masks, hand sanitisers and gloves complimentary in all properties.