Susafa

The Saeli-Rizzuto family continues a five-generation legacy and a farming history that dates back to 1870. Susafa is no ordinary sustainable boutique hotel. With farmhouse allure set within the beauty of Palermo’s countryside, it is an exciting rethinking of a 500+ hectare heirloom masseria and granary. The estate is anchored to agriculture, ecology, and a slow-lane pocket of Sicily, wrapped-up in the beautiful foothills of the Madonie Mountains and Polizzi Generosa.  

Deliberately remaining recumbent and inconspicuous, Susafa is the brainchild of present family owner Manfredi Rizzuto, who took an environmentally conscious route in restoring the farmstead’s two-century-old stone façade and setting about a rewilding programme with biodiverse planting – letting the resort slip seamlessly into the regional terroir of Palermo. 

Modern organic farming and a mantra of ‘let’s sow the future’ are the hosting pivots of Susafa, alongside beautifully designed interiors, suites, and a 0-km soil-to-table food philosophy. Susafa is an authentic family concern and eco-resort driven by passion just 90 minutes from Palermo and an hour’s drive to the Mediterranean hotspot of Cefalù (one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, in our opinion).

“Su-sa-fa” means, in fact, “It can be done”, and thanks to Manfredi Rizzuto, the boutique hotel and farmlands will continue their story for generations to come with a better, more environmentally conscious future. It’s a fabulous hotel stay to connect with Sicily's island nature, food and beauty – where you want to partake in cuisine workshops, relax in the spa gazebo, take a dip in the botanical garden pool, or sit back with a good book on a secluded terrace. Susafa is more than a slice of the good life; it has a curated soul that lives, breathes, and gives back to Sicily and its island communities with love and respect.

Origins of Heirloom Simplicity

Recalibrating the former milking parlours, wine and olive presses, armoury, granary and stables, the modern Susafa is a gorgeously layered storybook. Past scarring has been worn into the timbers and floorings cast by the working farm for centuries, and it is now a charismatic canvas for the interiors. Chunky stone walls, twisted beams and rustic finishes in milked whites rally around a curated design of farmhouse objets d’art, appreciated against commissioned furnishings made by nearby villagers and soft linens that orchestrate Susafa’sluxuriant aura. Keeping things simple is an apparent reference to life on the farm and enables the traveller-guest to absorb the colourful rural setting in contrast. 

Boutique guest rooms and luxury suites are in the design language of comfort and character with a melange of Sicilian antiques and soft furnishings picked by Manfred. The bedrooms are subtle, dapper and elegantly drenched in historical farmhouse gestures. 

Foragers, Disruptive Tomatoes & Co.

Being farmers at heart, the true essence of eco-hotel Susafa is a narrative of living from the labours of the land in tune with the seasons – the menu is mostly foraged with harvests of Siccagno tomatoes, oregano, cherries, hazelnuts, wheat and olives – a veritable calendar of more than fifty doorstep crop varieties.  

Humble and delicious are the cornerstones of the hotel’s Sicilian cooking, a reminder of the land’s simple peasant life and rich culture. Everything is plucked daily from its soils, sourced at the husbandry and farm, and combined with the in-house love of preservations, fermentations, and old-time practices used by the islanders and farmers over the centuries. Cookery workshops share the foodie chapters of the region with guests, and you are invited to get your hands into the dough to make focaccia, schiacciata, and pasta, as well as bake the island’s legendary cassata cake. 

A 0-km philosophy and plastic-free and zero-waste programme continue Manfredi Rizzuto’s mantra for a better future. It is an educational voyage and ensures the house cuisine is authentic, ethical and reminiscent of modern farming built on traditions.  

The restaurant is cast within the former granary with colossal stone walls etched by the history of flour production. Vaulted red-brick ceilings add a sense of drama – set around a roaring fireplace for those cooler days. Equally, the bar is fittingly housed within the old wine press, which is lined today with Sicilian wines from Castellucci Miano and Tenute Tasca d’Almerita cellars, some 12 km from the hotel. For a nightcap, perfect liqueurs, such as Passito, Moscato, Malvasia, or Marsala, complete the shelf of Sicilian favourites.

Alfresco months offer a plenitude of outdoor seating framed in the biodiverse gardens, with the herbaria and orchards echoing the sentiment of the farm-to-table experiences. Opt for dinner under the carob tree or picnic in the wild fields. 

The Family Nomad Returns

Guests can easily spot Manfredi on the estate; he is always in the company of his trusty Weimaraner hound, Bruno.