Splendid jewel of Sicily, the Castle San Marco Resort of Calatabiano rises a few steps from the sea, on the east coast of the island, between Taormina and Etna. The Hotel has rooms and suites all equipped with a small terrace; furnished in poor art style, they recreate the welcoming atmosphere of the old residences. Immersed in a unique and exclusive setting, between nature, history and relaxation, Castello San Marco offers its guests a journey into the excellence of Mediterranean gastronomy with the restaurant "I Mastri Flavetta".
Castello San Marco History
Located on the coast of Taormina, on the east coast of Sicily, the Castello di San Marco Charming Hotel & Spa is a thriving and elegant baroque historical home of the late seventeenth century, where all the charm of the past is combined with the incomparable natural beauty of this corner of paradise. The hotel is located on the sea, a few tens of meters from the private beach, presenting the ancient towers, the city walls and the large garden to the outside and welcoming visitors in rooms with a fairytale atmosphere, among large halls with arches in lava stone and enchanting chandeliers.
Its history began in 902 when the Arabs founded the ancient village using it as a strategic point for the conquest of Taormina. In the following centuries, during the Norman period, it was the aristocratic families who brought prestige to the property, such as the Cruyllas, of Catalan origin, who became Barons in 1396 and made changes to the Castle adding the Church of the Holy Crucifix. In 1544 the whole village was sacked at the arrival of the Pirate Dragut and in 1677 it was the French, after the anti-Spanish uprising of Messina, to occupy the settlement.
The rooms of the castle, 30 in all and divided between Classic, Romantic, Junior Suite, Suite and Deluxe, are immersed in the park between the buildings around the mansion. The classic rooms have a living room, a double bedroom, a children's bedroom and a small private garden. The romantic rooms include the living room on the ground floor and the raised double bedroom, located on an elegant wooden mezzanine. The Junior Suites, the Suites and the Deluxe rooms differentiate from the other proposals for their refinement and for the wide and refined spaces.
The renowned Ristorante Mastri Flavetta, mentioned by the best gastronomic guides, embraces the entire culinary style of Mediterranean cuisine, with organic vegetables grown directly in the San Marco fiefdom. On Saturday evening, guests will receive a romantic candlelit dinner in the romantic and elegant atmosphere of the Castello San Marco Charming Hotel & Spa.
At Castello there is no lack of leisure activities: guests can relax in the magnificent swimming pool, regenerate with a message made by expert hands in the shade of the gazebo or dedicate themselves to tennis in the field of the property. The ancient Palmento is now transformed into a Wine Bar, where you can taste the best wines of the area, in an environment that preserves the charm of the ancient Wine Routes, of which the Castle of San Marco represented a main hub.