The Godfather’s Little Mansion

“We appreciated the outstanding location of the house and the very kind and professional way we were welcome upon arrival and when we left.”

“Oliver’s home is beautiful! It has been renovated to restore the charm of the ‘Old’ (this includes the original stones, columns/beams on the ceiling, and the doors’ archway), and the ‘New’- smooth concrete that was blended to the old, original stones, I believe, newer bathrooms etc. Our guess is that he combined 3 houses and turned it into one, hence the possibility of entering the gateway to the house through the basement bedroom doors, door from the outside to the master bedroom and it’s bathroom, through these magnificent doors; brilliant! All around Oliver’s property, there are abandoned and rundown homes (ruins), which gives one a glimpse of what the old medieval homes might’ve looked like; as well as newly refurbished homes. Such a dichotomy! The place is surrounded with picturesque views and have incredibly high potential. It could be such a gem if the government poured some money for repairs/ infrastructure that could potentially make Forza d’Agro a well sought of place to visit. But hey, we like exploring and taking adventures in places such as Forza, untouched, not touristic and laden with history. Rumor has it that money was funneled into Forza for this very reason but the money wasn’t used properly! We observed tall cranes near the castle that we weren’t able to enter and not once did we see work in progress while we were there ( a bit disappointed that we were not able to enter the castle but the view from the top was exquisite), abandoned equipment, buildings that have the beginnings of construction, some buildings or houses that are falling apart and some electrical cables that are exposed ( none of which fazed us). Forza d’Agro, a place not too many people know about, could be one of the highest points of tourism of the area. The historical layers unveiled in a spectacular landscape/view can be enjoyed by many, especially those who have a heart for adventure. Forza’s claim to fame is its connection with one of the most famous Hollywood movies, The Godfather 1,2&3 with some of the scenes taken right in front of the Annunciata Church and the piazza in front of it. Forza d’ Agro and its surrounding area around is rich in history with many different cultures that have left their marks in Sicily. Our next home swap is in Palermo but the home owner canceled us due to damages in the property that was caused by heavy rain and wind. Oliver was kind and gracious to accommodate us for a second week in his home and we have friends who joined us for a few days and they very much enjoyed exploring the area as much as we did! Thank you Oliver! Oliver’s house is clean but across the door, is an abandoned house with empty crates, empty bottles and what looks like other peoples’ leftover construction materials. This is an easy clean. Since we both ‘Agreed’ the swap for points to stay at Oliver’s house, the communication was quite sparse, I never received his email or a number to reach him despite my request on a number of occasions, our correspondence was always through LHS. I would have liked to communicate directly with him to get his address, direction to his place, endorsement of key to the house, some kind of reassurance etc. We only heard from him close to our departure for Sicily. However, once we got to his place, Oliver communicated more promptly. Some unforeseen events that Oliver may or may not have control over is the frequency of power outage, WiFi cutting out and we have business that we were taking care of at home. Overall, we would recommend Oliver’s property and Forza D’Agro. Thank you Oliver for sharing your home with us. ”

“We had a lovely stay at Forza d'Agro. We didn't meet Oliver, but had a good contact by email and phone. The house is lovely, spacious and situated on the top of the hill with a beautifull view to the sea. People were very friendly and the food is extra-ordinary ! Thanks for all and hope to meet you either in France or Belgium. ”