History
“Giardini Victoria” adds an ornamental part to the old landholding of “Pietraperciata”, mainly devoted to citrus and olive oil production. It is hard to say where one part finishes and the other starts; in combination, both parts succeed in enhancing some beautiful Sicilian countryside struggling with the arid climate and the economic demise of terrace-based cultivation. The hillsides which, until the last century, were carefully tended with almonds and vines have seen the return of wild scrub, and the loss of paths and terraces. This exposes the area to the risks of fires in summer and erosion in winter as a result of the occasional torrential rains.
Vittoria Alliata di Villafranca decided in 2021 to repurpose and restore her 5 ha of hillside with a garden project, the “Giardini Victoria”. Now, instead of almonds, it is possible to enjoy the sights and smells of a Mediterranean garden, and to learn the local history. The visitor will enjoy the re-planting and recovery of local oaks and carobs, and the new teucrium, cystus, rosemaries, salvias, myrtles and lentiscus, not to mention a collection of rare and ancient Sicilian cultivars of peaches, pears, figs, and plums interspersed with remarkable blooming roses, camelias, wisteria, oleanders, and of course mulberries and the commercial varieties of citrus.
A small lake filled with water from the Alcantara river, that is to say, with snowmelt from the nearby Etna volcano which feeds it, offers a precious chance for aquatic plants and amphibians, and for dragonflies and damselflies. There are unforgettable sights of very ancient trees, and to the West a super view of the snowcapped volcano. To the East, of a great rocky outcrop pockmarked with cavities, some of which were enhanced as sepulchres in prehistoric times. Indeed “pierced rock” or pietra perciata is what gives the whole neighbourhood its name.
