The taste of Sicily's gardens and citrus groves

The view from the top of the Rocca delle Tre Contrade is breathtaking. The sea, Mount Etna and a vast landscape of trees, lush plants, herbs and flowers combine in a unique panorama, an enchanting and exquisite wild Mediterranean Garden of Eden. Three hectares of citrus groves, a vegetable garden that grows richer every day, a flower garden that tells the story of an enchanting place: this natural heritage requires commitment and constant care, but rewards it with fruit, vegetables, herbs and an unparalleled beauty.

The Magic of Volcanic Soil: From Limoncello Liqueur to Olive Oil

Jon and Dora, together with the "family" at Rocca delle Tre Contrade, harvest lemons every four months, a total of 100 tons per year. From the third flowering, achieved by what is called "persuading the plant", they obtain the Verdello dell'Etna, a lemon with a characteristic and exquisitely fragrant peel.

Used in the production of the famous digestive Limoncello, in the preparation of cakes and jams, cut into slices or both for drinks and summer dishes, lemons share the stage with various types of oranges (the orange blossom gives the entire grove a very intense fragrance), grapefruits and lemon juice, mulberries, medlars and jujubes, cherry and apricot trees: the small, white, honey-sweet fruits are said to be of a very ancient variety whose name has not yet been discovered. Wild peach and fig trees stand shoulder to shoulder with olive trees, from which they extract around 100 liters of oil every year.

The plants at Rocca delle Tre Contrade grow at an impressive pace: the secret lies in the volcanic soil. Every time Etna erupts, everything is covered with a very fine layer of black sand, the ash, which is an excellent fertilizer. This phenomenon requires time-consuming cleaning of the plants and the soil, but is one of the main reasons why a 50 cm pine tree can become a 12-meter giant in just twelve years.

Locally Grown Fresh Vegetables and Flowers: The Vegetable Garden and Garden at Rocca delle Tre Contrade

Having a large, productive vegetable garden means being able to offer your guests fresh, locally grown vegetables every day.

Every year the vegetable garden at Rocca delle Tre Contrade expands a little, to increase the quantity and variety of crops: there are squash, aubergines, onions, pumpkins, 5-6 types of tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, beets, peas, broad beans, artichokes.

Seasonality is an important element dictating what will be on the menu on any given day, and is occasionally circumvented by freezing vegetables for use at a later date: why would you ever give up Dora's excellent risotto primavera, even when the temperatures are distinctly summery?

The garden at Rocca delle Contrade is constantly changing: like the interior of the villa, it is not over-planned, precisely to create the feeling of something that has been there for a long time, that has grown and developed naturally, without being forced.

With more than 500 rose plants and many flower species, the table decorations are always different, as are those for the dishes and desserts (roses, for example, are edible).

Most of the plants are those from the Mediterranean maquis shrubland, which is very hardy and does not need watering.

The Ancient, Ancient Art of Wild Herbs

Such rich and generous soil is also home to many wild herbs that Dora uses for the recipes she suggests to her guests: common dandelion, wild fennel, the Mediterranean cabbage, known locally as "caliceddi", cat's ears which the locals call "cosc'î vecchia", are precious and tasty ingredients in her kitchen.

Using wild herbs in cooking is an ancient art that requires experience and attention: there are more than two hundred edible types, but it is not always easy to recognize them.

Dora knows exactly which ones to pick and how to use them to get the most out of their flavor and nutritional properties, creating delicious, traditional, and original dishes.

The Collective Nature of Island Hospitality

Taking care of a garden, a house, a guest, is a task that Jon, Dora, the gardeners and the people who make Rocca delle Tre Contrade a unique place, carry out with passion and dedication: each plant is followed in its growth, every corner of the villa is cared for down to the smallest detail, each person is listened to, pampered and looked after as if they were part of the family.