Painting holiday on a wine estate near Marsala in Sicily
This 4-night fly-drive holiday begins in Palermo where you collect your hire car before heading to Baglio Oneto, on the western coast of Sicily just outside of Marsala. Baglio Oneto is a five-star boutique hotel set on a wine estate amongst vineyards and olive groves. This estate still produces some of the finest Sicilian wines. The baglio dates from the 18th century and the Oneto family is one of the most historic on the island. Baglio Oneto is a great base to explore lesser known western part of Sicily. Standout attractions which we suggest visiting include the ancient ruins of Segesta and Selinunte and the hilltop village of Erice with its cobbled streets, palaces and castles to explore. During your stay, we include two 2-hour painting lessons with tutor Gloria Genna. Gloria, a lover of culture and knowledge, studied art at the Artistic Lyceum of Trapani and studied figurative painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Urbino. She currently works with painting, caricatures and delivers art lessons. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time in the Sicilian countryside. At the end of your holiday you return from Palermo by air to London.
Highlights
Marsala • Painting lessons • Erice • Segasta • Selinunte
Thanks for organising what was a wonderful holiday. Apart from a delay because of Gatwick fog coming home, everything ran like clockwork and we had a cracking time. I would be happy to recommend Expressions and hope we will have the opportunity to organise another trip with you in the future.Mrs S, October 2024
Holiday price guide Prices from £1,180 per person based on two people sharing a double or twin room.
From about
£1,180
Holiday Code FHIT27
Call us on 01392 441245
Painting holiday on a wine estate near Marsala in Sicily
Start your holiday flying from the UK to Palermo. We include flights with British Airways from London Heathrow to Palermo. Collect your hire car from Palermo airport and then it’s a drive of about 1 hour to Baglio Oneto, close to Marsala. Settle into your room and perhaps have dinner in the hotel’s restaurant (not included).
You have three full days in Sicily to explore and take inspiration from the countryside and vineyards that surround you. During this time, you will have two 2-hour painting lessons with your tutor, Gloria Genna. Choose from a range of techniques such as oil on canvas, pencil or charcoal drawing or watercolour on paper. Lessons can take place in Italian or English inside or outdoors, immersed in the countryside. After your lessons, you can take your artwork home to show to friends and family. Apart from your art lessons, your time is your own to relax at the hotel or to explore nearby areas. Marsala is 20 minutes’ drive away from your hotel and is synonymous with the famous sweet dessert wine however the town itself is bursting with charm. You could visit a wine-cellar such as Cantine Florio, to learn about the Marsala-making process as well as sampling the products or visit the local fish market in Porta Garibaldi. Perhaps visit Caseificio Impicciche, a local dairy factory located 5 kms from the centre of Marsala. Guided visits are possible to learn about the stages of the cheese-making process starting from the ingredients to its preservation. This skill has been handed down from generation to generation. Other places of interest here include the Museo Archeologico Baglio Anselmi. This museum displays remains of a Carthaginian warship sunk during the First Punic War. Other noteworthy sites include Piazza della Repubblica, an elegant square dominated by the Chiesa Madre and the Complesso Monumentale San Pietro which houses a complex of small museums. There is a wide range of restaurants in Marsala so you may wish to try one of the local restaurants for dinner one evening. Another place to visit is Segesta approximately a 35 minute drive from the hotel. The ruins of ancient Segesta are not to be missed. The main attraction is the 5th century BC temple but the amphitheatre carved into the hillside is also worth viewing. Then a further 45 minutes northwest of Segesta is the walled medieval town of Erice, situated 750m above sea level. The town is a maze of winding cobbled streets, palaces and castles. Visit the Duomo and Castello di Venere, a Norman castle built in the 12th and 13th century. Take in the panoramic views of San Vito Lo Capo on one side, and Saline di Trapani on the other. As well as being of charm and interest historically and architecturally, Erice is famous for its marzipan sweets, perhaps filled with hot custard or flavoured with a hint of clove. These are best accompanied by a glass of Marsala or the green Monte Erice liqueur. Also of note are the ceramics made in Erice.
Today, depending on the time of your flight, you check-out after breakfast and make your way to Palermo. Drop off your car at the airport before taking your flight back to the UK.
Thanks for organising what was a wonderful holiday. Apart from a delay because of Gatwick fog coming home, everything ran like clockwork and we had a cracking time. I would be happy to recommend Expressions and hope we will have the opportunity to organise another trip with you in the future.Mrs S, October 2024
Holiday price guide Prices from £1,180 per person based on two people sharing a double or twin room.
From about
£1,180
Holiday Code FHIT27
Our prices include
● Scheduled return flights with British Airways from London to Palermo and back from Palermo to London
● Hire of a Group B car for the duration of the holiday
● 4 nights’ bed and breakfast in a deluxe room with balcony and sea view at Baglio Oneto, Marsala
● Two 2-hour painting lessons with all the necessary material provided
● Concierge service and Expressions Holidays regional helpful hints
Call us on 01392 441245
Thanks for organising what was a wonderful holiday. Apart from a delay because of Gatwick fog coming home, everything ran like clockwork and we had a cracking time. I would be happy to recommend Expressions and hope we will have the opportunity to organise another trip with you in the future.Mrs S, October 2024
Holiday price guide Prices from £1,180 per person based on two people sharing a double or twin room.
From about
£1,180
Holiday Code FHIT27
Our prices include
• Scheduled return flights with British Airways from London to Palermo and back from Palermo to London
• Hire of a Group B car for the duration of the holiday
• 4 nights’ bed and breakfast in a deluxe room with balcony and sea view at Baglio Oneto, Marsala
• Two 2-hour painting lessons with all the necessary material provided
• Concierge service and Expressions Holidays regional helpful hints
The journey and how you get there Marsala is about one hour's drive south-west from Palermo. Fly to Palermo and then collect your hire-car which you keep for the duration of the holiday.
Call us on 01392 441245
Painting holiday on a wine estate near Marsala in Sicily
Special offers
Call to make your booking and save an extra £50 per adult Call us instead of emailing us when you are thinking of booking a holiday and save an extra £50 per adult (in addition to any special offers that might be available). We want to talk to you to discuss your requirements and a phone call is usually the best way for you to define what you want enabling us to respond more accurately. We want to talk to you and you save an extra £50 per adult.
Thanks for organising what was a wonderful holiday. Apart from a delay because of Gatwick fog coming home, everything ran like clockwork and we had a cracking time. I would be happy to recommend Expressions and hope we will have the opportunity to organise another trip with you in the future.Mrs S, October 2024
Holiday price guide Prices from £1,180 per person based on two people sharing a double or twin room.
From about
£1,180
Holiday Code FHIT27
Our prices include
• Scheduled return flights with British Airways from London to Palermo and back from Palermo to London
• Hire of a Group B car for the duration of the holiday
• 4 nights’ bed and breakfast in a deluxe room with balcony and sea view at Baglio Oneto, Marsala
• Two 2-hour painting lessons with all the necessary material provided
• Concierge service and Expressions Holidays regional helpful hints
The journey and how you get there Marsala is about one hour's drive south-west from Palermo. Fly to Palermo and then collect your hire-car which you keep for the duration of the holiday.
Call us on 01392 441245
Painting holiday on a wine estate near Marsala in Sicily
About Sicily
An Expressions tailor-made holiday in Sicily allows visitors to discover a unique and captivating island. The rich tapestry of Mediterranean history can be witnessed on the southerly island of Sicily, fascinating not only for its amazing blend of cultures including Greek, Arab, Byzantine and Norman and its architectural treasures which reflect these influences but also for its breath-taking scenery of coast, parched mountains and fertile groves of almonds, oranges, lemons and olives. The people are proud and independent, reserved but sincere and helpful. Traditions thrive to an extent that the atmosphere of Sicily is unrecognisable in the context of other parts of Italy further north. The towns and villages are contrasting with picture postcard scenes of mediaeval labyrinthine alleyways adorned by wrought-iron balconies and baskets of flowers or severe dilapidation punctuated by grand Baroque or austere Norman cathedrals and churches. Additionally, there are of course some of the most important sites of the ancient Greek world such as the temples at Agrigento, the theatre at Taormina and numerous relics at Siracusa, reputedly one of the most beautiful cities of the Greek world. High above the island looms Mount Etna, one of the largest volcanoes in the world and an awe-inspiring sight. Off the north coast of Sicily, the beautiful Aeolian Islands offer escape and remoteness, natural scenery and a startling light, a sleepy way of life and romantic isolation. A holiday in Sicily appeals for those who want typical rest and relaxation with cultural activities at hand, and for those who want to be more adventurous and experience more of this captivating island.
Highlights of Sicily
An ascent of Mount Etna, partly by car and then further on foot (guides available) through the luxuriant vegetation which includes oranges and lemons, bougainvillaea and poinsettias and then higher up the groves of walnuts, cherries, almonds, pistachios and vines. Palermo is known for its street markets, especially Vucciria and Ballaro, where traders and hawkers, pickpockets and shoppers converge amongst narrow streets and stalls of wares. See the traditional costumes and dialect of Piana degli Albanesi, where Albanians settled in the 15th Century. Revel in the splendid site of Taormina above the sea with views to Etna. Local crafts include cork, ceramics, honey, embroidery, raffia. Enjoy the calm and remoteness of the Aeolian Islands with their clear waters, beautiful scenery and peaceful way of life. Enjoy the gardens of the Villa Giulia in Palermo and the Public Gardens in Taormina.
Cultural highlights of Sicily
Palermo contains some of the greatest Arab-Norman buildings in existence - San Giovanni degli Eremiti, the Palazzo Reale with its striking Cappella Palatina and La Martorana. Monreale outside Palermo is the greatest work of Norman architecture in Sicily and contains beautiful 12th and 13th Century mosaics and cloisters. The Doric temples of the 5th Century BC in the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento. Cefalu has the `Portrait of a Man` by Antonello da Messina, dating from 1465 in its Museo Mandralisca.
Festivals in Sicily
Many Sicilian local festivals are linked to Saints’ Days. A few of the most well-known festivals generally include Carnival celebrations in Taormina and Acireale. Easter is celebrated especially in Trapani, Marsala and Piana degli Albanesi. Messina celebrates Ferragosto on the 15th August with a firework display over the Straits. The Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore takes place in Agrigento in the first and second weeks of February to celebrate the almond blossom. Taormina Arte is a summer festival of music, cinema, ballet and theatre, held in the Greek theatre. The Palio dei Normanni takes place in Piazza Armeria in August.
Gastronomy in Sicily
The gastronomy of Sicily, like much of the culture of the island, has been heavily influenced by its history. Cuscus is a Sicilian version of couscous, and marzipan features heavily in sweets. Local produce includes citrus fruits, almonds, capers, olives, peppers and fish. Local specialities include Maccheroni con le sarde (pasta with sardines, fennel, raisins, pine nuts and saffron), Pesce spada (grilled sword fish), 'alla Siciliana' with capers, red peppers and herbs. Cassata is a popular dessert made with ricotta, candied fruit and pistachios and Cannoli are almond biscuits stuffed with ricotta. Sicily produces a variety of red and white wines including Corvo di Salaparuta and Etna, Marsala and Malvasia.
