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My name is Ariane. I love flowers and nature, silence and colours, and the emotions aroused by the sea. I love Pantelleria with its dense and vivid colours, the deep blue of the sky which seems almost possible to touch where it merges with the sea, the bright green of the vegetation in all seasons, all the scents of the island, the intense colours of the flowers sprouting from the black volcanic rocks, and the harsh summer light. A landscape that has always been part of my world, and in which I recognise myself — it is the refuge of my soul. Years ago, when the island was scarcely known, I chose Pantelleria as a place to settle, and I lived here for a long time. Here, my children were born and raised, Costanza and Gherardo, who, like me, never miss an opportunity to return. When we must be away, we carry our island with us everywhere we go, in our mind’s eye and in our hearts.
Our love of Pantelleria has been passed from one generation to the next, ever since my parents first came here on holiday in the 1970s, and fell in love with the island. This rocky headland, with its views of the sunrise, touched their hearts and so they bought our little green hill overlooking the sea. My father, a Sallier de La Tour, and my mother, a Tasca d’Almerita, unite two great Sicilian families of farmers and winegrowers. They chose this refuge on an island off the beaten track to share with like-minded people, with friends who find their same joy in this spectacle of nature. And so, where there were only two dammusi, they built six more, each far enough from the others to preserve the silence, when all you want to hear is the wind that carries the perfume of the sea, all the way home. The islanders — “i Panteschi” – named the houses where my family has always spent its happy summers “Le Case del Principe” and so I chose to perpetuate it.
And now I take care of our little headland, and dedicate myself to my father’s houses with gratitude and deep respect for the island, and for both my parents. I recognize the great privilege of being able to live in a place so extraordinary and unique that it inspires wonderful thoughts and reflections. My dream is to make all of you, who love the magic of nature and hear the echoes of it within yourselves, fall in love with this island. I look forward to greeting you with all the warmth and hospitality which, today, can only be found on small islands.
