Palermo & Bagheria

 London, 28th of September 2020

After touring around most of the island, visiting cities, town, temples and beaches we arrived in Palermo. For me a world away from the picturesque and quite polished east coast of the island. I think opinions about Palermo are usually quite divided, you love it or you hate it, I don't feel there much of an in between opinion about this city. The traffic is mad to say the least and certainly not for the faint heartened. But apart from the things that might worry you it is very much worth a visit, even if it is only once. 

We were very lucky, we stayed in a rather splendid place on a Piano Nobile of a little palazzo with a magnificent roof terrace right opposite the illustrious Palazzo Gangi-Valguarnera where Visconti filmed one of his masterpieces, namely Il Gattopardo. Located in La Kalsa, the old Arab part of town which I think is the best place to stay as a tourist. It was walking distance from all the main points of interests and had quite a buzzing and exciting atmosphere about it at night with lots of bars and restaurants and a very nice crowd. 

Palermo has quite a few things going for it and lots to see but as a tourist you have to be sensible about where you go and how you look, but that is my personal opinion. We visited the compulsory cathedral and the Fontana Pretoria and Quatro Canti which were well worth the visit. Please note, the cathedral is lovely but from the outside only don't bother going inside. Like the rest of Sicily its a wonderful mix of styles a temple, a mosque and a church all in the space of a few hundred years. But my real interests were a few wonderful palazzi and the church of St Caterina. 

St Caterina is right next to the Fontana Pretoria and has a whole complex connected to it. The church in itself is, well stupendous. A riot of classic Sicilian baroque architecture. A collection of pietra dura, marble and sculptures presented in way that can only be found in Sicily. And colourful enough to make your head spin. We ventured all the way to the top of the church, to the dome. It was cleverly done and not too exhausting because there are different levels you can rest at because you'll visit every part of the church and the nunnery. The first stop was the the choir which enables you to have a spectacular view of the church, the altar and the chandeliers. Then up to the top! My sister noted we were walking over the vaulted roof, which made me wildly uncomfortable. To be honest the view was spectacular and the well worth a visit but a word of caution, maybe not the best idea if you suffer from fear of heights. I had a few moments where my knees felt quite weak. I also realized I was galloping down the stairs on my way down. When I was looking up at the dome afterwards, I wasn't quite sure why I went all the way up there. But like I said, well worth the visit.  

The nunnery, which is luckily not in use anymore, also has a lovely and I mean Lovely confectionery hall where the best of Sicily's sweets are prepared and have been for centuries and well worth a try! Decadently decorated cassatas, minne di St Agata, granita's and pretty much everything else one could wish for in terms of sweet Sicilian delights. Sufficed to say we feasted on many things after our climb to the top!

My favourite part of Palermo were the palazzi which were hidden in the most unlikely places. Palazzo Alliata di Villafranca was one of such places. Situated on a little square in the Palazzo Reale area, the crumbling façade boasts two large coat of arms and a enormous double door as the entrance. Due to the pandemic there were no tours but that also meant we were to roam freely through the palazzo without anyone else bothering us. The young man at reception kindly showed us in and switched on the lights in every room we visited. Often we asked him to keep them turned off, the light coming from the semi closed shutters made it all the more beautiful and romantic, like visiting someone's home. 

The tragic truth about Villafranca was that apart from few recently restored salons, the palace was almost crumbling. The owner at the time Princess Correale Santacrocce, donated the palace to the archdiocese of Palermo in 1984. They in turn repaired the roof and the windows so it would be 'weather proof'. The recently restored salons look lovely albeit a bit new and heavily gilded. The real treasures are hidden under the cloak of darkness. Protected by shutters which keep out the heat and the sunlight. The green salon houses the palazzo's most treasured object, a crucifixion by Van Dyck. We entered the room in complete darkness, only the painting illuminated. It was quite impressive regardless of the fact if you interests lay in religion or religious art. The room is crowned with a large Murano chandelier and to be frank, the room is equally pretty when lit or shrouded in darkness. 

The next room of this beautiful and crumbling enfilade is the yellow salon, also named the tea salon. Its silk upholstered walls faded and but still in a remarkably good condition and simply a lovely and cozy room to spend a sweltering afternoon in.

Following the yellow salon was the Rose room. Its walls hung with faded dusty pink silk which was molded and watermarked in certain places. The doors were equally damp stained. However the pink walls and the delicate light coming from yet another Murano chandelier made the room feel ethereal in a way. Not to mention very flattering for the complexion. 

 

Following our adventures in Palermo we visited Bagheria on our way to Cefalu. About half an hour from Palermo and probably one of the most unlikely places where you think to find several treasures. Bagheria was the place where the Palermitan Aristo's built their summer houses, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Almost overlooking the sea, Bagheria is home to several spectacular 18th century villa's one more breathtaking than the other and most of them still in private hands.  Villa Valguarnera is still in the possession of the Princess of Valguarnera & Villafranca and is available to rent including staff, with it fabulous and romantic Sicilia interiors it wouldn't be a hard decision to make. The only villa that can be visited however is the Villa Palagonia. Hidden behind a high overgrown wall stands a 18th century marvel. Surrounded by a wall that is armed with mythological creatures that protected the villa and it's once precious content, receiving its nickname the Villa dei Mostri.

The part of the villa that can be visited is completely empty, not a single piece of furniture in sight. But there is no need for it. The interior of this villa is breathtaking. It was once a much visited place, being a perfect example of early Sicilian Baroque architecture. John Soane, Henry Swinburne, Goethe and Alexandre Dumas were a few of its famous visitors and also, unsurprisingly much admired by myself. There is something quite mesmerizing when you set foot into the villa. One of the things that surprised me is how quiet it is, even though you are in the center of town. We were (especially in the beginning) the only people to visit, having the villa all to ourselves. The interior of the villa is in somewhat of a state of decay to put it mildly but that is very much part of its charm, more so than in other places. The paint crumbles from most walls in the Herculean room, the ceiling are only partially in place or non existent and show only the timber structure below it. The chapel was empty looked almost like it was raided not too long ago. But most mesmerizing of them all is the Hall of Mirrors.

 A ballroom with a beautiful inlaid floor is covered with mirrors, busts and painted glass. The walls look like marble but that's an illusion. The highly reflective walls are actually glass, painted to look like marble, reflecting the people who walk past it. The ceiling isn't decorated with the usual stucco, it's made up entirely of mirrors, different shapes and sizes that all fit perfectly. Because of the curve of the ceiling, the mirrors reflect each other as well as what is moving below it. This gives the extraordinary impression of having hundreds of people in the room, dancing in perhaps in a different time and space, only catching a glimpse of them or yourself every now and then unable to see where they come from. Visiting when the sun was setting, light reflected the mirrors and lit up the Herculean room.  There is nothing for you to do there but to admire the surroundings and dream away below painted ceilings and mirrored walls. Villa Palagonia is an extraordinary place to visit and unlike any other place you'll ever see.

Love,

F.