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Adelaide Crows champion and Triple M Breakfast host Mark Ricciuto has opened his family’s Riverland homestead, Nonno’s, to guests on Airbnb after a major renovation. The Ricciuto Road property has been in the Ricciuto family for three generations, first owned by Mark’s Nonno (grandfather) Nicola Ricciuto.
Nicola Ricciuto on Ricciuto Road
Sure, it’s a stunning property, made for serene weekends away, but the real drawcard is the personal connection for Ricciuto and his family. “It’s our family property, since my grandfather, or Nonno, as they say in Italian came out from Italy. It’s where he decided to settle and raise his family, so it’s been in our family for 90 years, and a few generations,” Ricciuto said.
Ricciuto and his wife Sarah undertook a full renovation last year, aiming to honour the property’s history while creating a modern, welcoming space. “I just wanted to do it justice,” Ricciuto said. “We did a complete renovation from top to bottom, and there’s not a square centimetre that we haven’t touched, I think. We just wanted to give it what it deserved, and, we’ve done just that, now complete, as of about two weeks ago.”
Out of all those square centimetres, though, Ricciuto has a personal favourite section.
“Yeah, I have actually [got a favourite part], and it’s the kitchen,” Ricciuto said. “And the kitchen for Italians is the real hub of the house. We made sure we spent a little bit more on the kitchen and did a really good job.”
“It was actually a really weird feeling, sitting in there, when we had our first family meal [post renovation] about two or three weeks ago. All the memories of my childhood were coming flooding back to me… No, it was really quite weird, to be honest.”
For anyone reading, Ricciuto said, “If they’ve ever been back into the family home where they grew up. You’ll know what I’m talking about, because you just picture yourself as a kid. You picture your parents when they were young, you picture your grandparents still alive, if they’ve passed away, and I could just visualise scenes from my childhood that I hadn’t thought about for 40-odd years. So, it’s been, yeah, pretty cool.”
Kitchen Before
Kitchen After
Mark grew up playing around the property, helping his grandfather with chores and exploring the surrounding lands. “I basically lived under his feet. You know, uh, watering his veggies, going to collect eggs, mowing his lawns, picking fruits, um, going yabbying in the creek, down in the ponds below. Dad was out at work, and I was down with Nonno mucking around and just living life. It was my playground for my childhood, basically.”
While the property has been modernised, Mark and his wife kept the outdoor areas family-friendly and functional. “We basically cleared up everything around the house, we put 1,000 square metres of grass so that it’s perfect for cricket and footy… Outdoor dining areas under vines… Yeah, just simplified it now, so that the hero really is the view to the river, and the veranda is there to overlook the grass and the play areas. It’s a great weekend place, perfect for relaxing and chilling out. It’s awesome.”
Nonno’s Exterior Before Renovation
Set on a vineyard with river views and no nosy neighbours, Nonno’s is your ticket to a guilt-free weekend of doing absolutely nothing. Inside there are big bedrooms, a comfortable lounge with a 65-inch smart TV, and a kitchen fitted with brand-new Smeg appliances and a Nespresso machine. Outside, the lawns are perfect for kicking the footy or lounging around, and a BBQ area is equipped for all your grilling needs. There’s also plenty of space for caravans, boats, and river access.
Mark and his family have already had the chance to enjoy the newly renovated home, continuing family traditions. “We had a couple of weekends up there just to make sure we had everything sorted. We just did our pasta sauce making day out there, which is a family tradition.”
Mark is thrilled to share Nonno’s with guests, hoping they enjoy the same warmth and memories that have defined his family’s home for nearly a century. “I’m just happy that it’s now been restored and. I’m looking forward to it. It’s been great for our family and now I’m excited for other people to stay there and really enjoy it for themselves.”
For more info, and to book Nonno’s, click here.
