“There's a strong interest in promoting the Sicilian excellencies, which are of course connected to food and wine, but also the natural beauties that we can offer. So, even though Mount Etna is visible from everywhere, really, it's the olive groves and the vineyards surrounding the estate that make all the difference for an experience that makes it really relaxing and exclusive.”
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We’re in great company with Fabio Cimenti, Operating Officer of Villa Neri Etna Resort & Spa, an extraordinary retreat nestled on the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna in the ancient hilltop village of Linguaglossa, Sicily—where a century-old family legacy of farming, winemaking, and quiet reverence for the land has blossomed into one of the island's most distinctive luxury escapes.
Here, the silence is intentional, the materials are local, and every detail—from the lava stone underfoot to the Etna DOC wine in your glass—is a love letter to this remarkable corner of the earth.
In the final episode of Season 9, Fabio teaches us that a sense of place isn't designed—it's inherited, tended, and passed down.
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Top Takeaways
[1:55] From the Dolomites to the slopes of Etna—what does it take to leave a career in education behind and follow a feeling?
[6:00] Greek, Roman, Arabic, Spanish, French—Sicily isn't just an island, it's a civilization layered on top of itself.
[7:10] With its lava stone houses and a cuisine fed by volcanic soil—Linguaglossa is not the seaside Sicily you imagined.
[11:00] A tenor's voice built the fortune. A brother's grief brought it home to Sicily. And four generations later, those first vines are now a five-star estate.
[13:50] At Villa Neri, the roots aren't just a story—they're sitting in the hallway for guests to encounter.
[16:35] Breakfast facing a volcano, lunch in the vineyards, dinner under a Sicilian sunset—Fabio's ideal day at Villa Neri is not a hard sell.
[21:35] From marble floors, lava stone walls and a local sculptor's permanent collection to suite wine cellars and lodge spas facing the volcano—Villa Neri has thought carefully about what it means to wake up on these slopes.
[27:15] Chef Elia Russo's memories menu at 12 Fontane is a journey through Sicily—from the volcanic highlands to the coastline—told through ingredients that have never left the island.
[29:10] At Petra Spa, even the treatments are sourced from the land—because Villa Neri believes a guest should feel Sicily in every sense.
[31:10] Casa Arrigo is where it all began—the original land, the first vines, the first olive press—and a minute's walk from Villa Neri, it's still where the best stories are told.
Notable Mentions
White Lotus Season 2 at San Domenico Palace in Taormina, Sicily
Artist Salvatore Incorpora
Sicilian desserts, cassata cakes & cannoli
Neri Etna Rosato DOC made of 100% Nerello Mascalese
Ferragosto in August
