There is a place in Sicily where the silence feels different

A place surrounded by countryside, old rural structures, open skies and the distant presence of Mount Etna watching over everything.

In the countryside near Acireale, something slowly and quietly is beginning to take shape: a sanctuary for rescued animals.

Santuario Sotto la Panca ODV is no longer simply an idea or a future plan.

It is now a real piece of land in Sicily, bought little by little with determination, sacrifice and love, with the goal of becoming a permanent home for animals who had nowhere else to go.

A Different Side of Sicily

Most visitors know Sicily for its beaches, baroque towns, volcano views and summer light.

But there is another side to the island.

A quieter Sicily made of small roads, countryside houses, volcanic soil, old trees and landscapes that still feel deeply connected to rural life.

This is the Sicily where the sanctuary is growing.

Not as a luxury project. Not as a tourist attraction. But as a safe place for vulnerable lives.

The Beginning Started With One Life

Sometimes large projects begin with a single encounter.

For Sotto la Panca, one of those moments was Luce — the first protected life that changed the direction of everything that followed.

After her, it became impossible to ignore how many animals still needed help, protection and a future.

The sanctuary grew from a simple but powerful belief:

Animals are not objects. They deserve safety, freedom and dignity.

Nina

Among the animals connected to the sanctuary’s story is Nina.

Nina is a tripod dog, but that is not what defines her.

What defines her is her ability to trust again.

Her story included surgery, recovery, medical treatment and difficult moments. But slowly, Nina began to discover what safety feels like.

She started to rest. To trust. To accept care. To look at people without fear.

Animals like Nina are the reason this place exists.

Not simply to rescue animals — but to give them a life where fear is no longer normal.

The Fantastic Five

Then there are the cats.

The Fantastic Five are five tiny kittens recently rescued and brought into safety. Fragile, curious and full of life, they represent another part of the sanctuary’s work: the quiet, everyday rescue of animals who would otherwise be left invisible.

Some animals will eventually find families. Others may need longer care. Some may stay forever.

Either way, the goal remains the same: to create a place where no life is disposable.

The Land Beneath the Volcano

The sanctuary land still feels raw and unfinished.

Existing structures are being restored. Safe areas are being planned. Spaces for future animals are slowly becoming real.

Every wall repaired, every gate installed and every safe area created is another step toward something permanent.

A forever home.

A place where rescued farm animals, dogs and cats will eventually live surrounded by nature, open air and the landscape of eastern Sicily.

Why This Story Matters to Us

At Sicilian NQ, Sicily has always been more than an inspiration for food.

It is memory, identity, family, landscape and culture.

Supporting Sotto la Panca means supporting a different vision of Sicily too — one based not only on tradition and beauty, but also on compassion and responsibility.

This is one of the reasons our restaurant gradually evolved into a mostly plant-based and vegetarian Sicilian concept inspired by the ingredients that have always existed in Sicilian cooking: vegetables, legumes, pistachio, citrus, herbs and seasonal produce.

Not because trends demanded it. But because it felt aligned with the future we wanted to help create.

A Place Where Life Can Finally Be Life

The sanctuary beneath Etna is still growing.

There is still work to do, structures to build, animals to help and resources to find.

But something important already exists there: the idea that vulnerable lives deserve more than survival.

They deserve peace.

And beneath the volcano, in the Sicilian countryside, that future is slowly beginning.