Porto di Terra
Elena D’Anna and Laura Maniscalco
MEET THE PARTNER
Community life of Elena and Laura
Elena D’Anna and Laura Maniscalco are two of the young people who lead Porto di Terra, a social promotion association. Porto di Terra is a community project based in a country farmhouse in the splendid forests of Polizzi Generosa.
The association has more than one hundred members and has become a point of reference for the local community, as well as a beautiful setting for training activities and projects that connect humans and nature. The farmhouse has indoor rooms as well as outdoor space for tents and two comfortable tepees equipped with beds inside.
Laura is a lover of botany and historic crafts, a hiking guide, and a permaculture designer. On the farm, she takes care of olive production, horticultural products, cosmetics, and herbal teas. Elena is an environmental educator who, after years of study and work abroad in the legal field, returned to Sicily to grow roots in the Porto di Terra community. Today she cares for a small herd of four adorable donkeys who accompany her and her visitors to discover the surrounding landscapes.
The association has more than one hundred members and has become a point of reference for the local community, as well as a beautiful setting for training activities and projects that connect humans and nature. The farmhouse has indoor rooms as well as outdoor space for tents and two comfortable tepees equipped with beds inside.
Laura is a lover of botany and historic crafts, a hiking guide, and a permaculture designer. On the farm, she takes care of olive production, horticultural products, cosmetics, and herbal teas. Elena is an environmental educator who, after years of study and work abroad in the legal field, returned to Sicily to grow roots in the Porto di Terra community. Today she cares for a small herd of four adorable donkeys who accompany her and her visitors to discover the surrounding landscapes.
Walking with donkeys and learning from nature
We offer a vast array of activities for our friends and visitors. From workshops on the recognition of medicinal and spontaneous herbs useful in natural cosmetics to kitchen courses on bread-making with sourdough starters and wood-burning oven, and even experiences in weaving and the use of herbs for dyeing. Our guests love hiking in the woods with donkeys: the presence of animals encourages a slow pace, plenty of observation time, and a true connection with nature.
Elena, Laura, and the young people of Porto di Terra have created a model of repopulation in rural areas. Their presence is a beacon of hope for the Polizzi community and a great place of exchange for knowledge and sustainability.
