The charming farmhouse, nestled in the countryside of Piana degli Albanesi, at 700 m a.s.l. stands in the shadow of the mountain of the same name, on the beautiful “Scanzano” valley, facing the “Ficuzza” forest and “Rocca Busambra” where rare specimens of birds of prey nestle. Masseria Rossella owes its name to the special quality of its lands that have always favored the growth of beautiful rose gardens, and for this reason it is called the land of roses.
The estate produces excellent organic extra virgin olive oil, fruit, vegetables, legumes, aromas and flavors that are the basis of the house’s cuisine. The warm fragrance of rosemary, sage and flowers will bring back memories and emotions that have long been dormant. In this corner of paradise you will be pleasantly amazed by the unexpected landscape characterized by woods, hills and valleys, lakes, luxuriant olive groves, immense fields of wheat and precious vineyards, wineries whose wine is at the top of various quality rankings. You will be enchanted by the light, bewitched by the colors, seduced by the intense flavors of a land untouched by concrete. A genuine and unspoiled environment, proudly tied to its agricultural traditions.
The rooms are obtained from the restructuring of the house of the “sharecropper”, of some warehouses, the granary, the saddlery, the kitchens and the animal shelter. The bedrooms, living rooms, and sitting rooms are elegantly furnished, with antiques and handcrafted furniture, prints and fine fabrics. The rooms and halls are equipped with heating, with all comforts and with an eye to practicality. We are in the countryside, we want you to enjoy nature and make you come into harmony with it.
The rooms have direct, independent access to the central court lawn which is furnished with garden furniture and sun umbrellas. In the farmhouse there are double, quadruple and suites rooms, all with private bathroom. A dining room with an ancient stone arch, a library, three large lounges, two of which with fireplace and one with TV and finally the large granary, now a multifunctional room. A swimming pool overlooking the Scanzano valley, surrounded by a lawn and protected by ancient trees. A private chapel. The large terrace with a splendid view of the natural reserve of Ficuzza, a view that is hard to forget.
A HISTORICAL HOUSE
At the end of the 1700s, King Ferdinand IV of Bourbon, having moved away from Naples, chose to settle in Palermo and, looking for the place where to build his hunting lodge, he came across the monumental and evocative Rocca Busambra. He was delighted by it and so it was that by his will, 30 km south of Palermo, at the foot of Rocca Busambra, an imposing Royal casino was built, with 12,000 hectares of woods. The wood of “Ficuzza” is still today the largest wooded reserve in western Sicily.
It is known that the rulers in Sicily, who had always been foreigners, were often not well-liked, especially by the powerful princes who took their place, who sometimes expressed their disappointment in an eccentric way. The Prince of Belmonte, for example, given the intentions of the King, bought 7,000 neighboring hectares and erected the splendid Masseria Rossella right in front of the royal casino, beyond the valley. The princely agricultural estate of Masseria Rossella was therefore born as an expression of a “royal” rudeness!
The architect of the building was Giuseppe Marvuglia, the same one who, on behalf of the prince, had built the Belmonte villas of Acquasanta and Olivuzza, but also the creator of the hunting lodge of Ficuzza.
It remains to be said of the noble Rossella palace, a “unicum” in the territory (and not only in this one) in terms of rank, grandeur of the layout and noble birthplace, today administrative relevance of Piana degli Albanesi but up to the last century, extreme western offshoot of the territory of Marineo .
In the early nineteenth century, this monumental complex was purchased by the Barons Dara family and still today it continues to live with its characteristics of a large stately home and the center of an industrious farm thanks to the assiduous care lavished, through two centuries of dedication, by Antonio and Mariella Dara, who have transformed this place into a charming farmhouse and an organic farm.
The entire structure is subject to restrictions by the Department of Cultural Heritage due to its high historical value.
THE FARM
Masseria Rossella is an organic farm and its estate produces a very tasty organic extra virgin olive oil, fruit, vegetables, aromas and flavors that are the basis of the house’s cuisine.
The olive grove area has an extension of 25.00 hectares and is certified organic, in which the typical local cultivars Cerasuola, Biancolilla and Nocellara del Belice are produced. Masseria Rossella oil has a yellow color tending to straw yellow, bright with golden reflections and shades of green. The fragrance is herbaceous, intense and fragrant with hints of olive and tomato. The flavor is full, strong, fruity, spicy with a pungent and persistent aftertaste.
In the Masseria they are also produced jams and preserves of oranges, mulberry trees, figs and plums. The fruit is picked and the strictly artisanal jam is produced on the same day and you will find it at the table for breakfast.
Other products are dried tomatoes in oil (the typical siccagni of the Corleonese area) tomato sauce and theextract, then used throughout the year in the kitchen.
Services and activities
During your stay in the Masseria you can carry out numerous activities and take advantage of our services, for a relaxing holiday.
- Restaurant (internal and external halls)
- Free Wi-Fi (available throughout the hotel)
- Swimming pool with views of the Scanzano and Ficuzza Valley
- Bowling green
- Free external parking
- Library and Reading Room
- Sitting room with fireplace
- TV lounge
- Private Chapel
- Garden and courtyard with a majestic age-old mulberry
- Terrace overlooking the Valle dello Scanzano and Ficuzza
- Estate and organic vegetable garden
- Bike rental
- Charging station for electric cars
- Horseback riding at Lake Piana degli Albanesi (service subject to availability with 2 days advance reservation)
- Tour of the surrounding wineries (service subject to availability with 2 days advance reservation)
- Paragliding (subject to availability with 5 days advance reservation)
- Scheduled tours
- Trekking on the CAI (Italian Alpine Club), Magna Via Francigena and Itinerarium Rosaliae trails.