BAGHERIA

Bagheria is renowned for its numerous Baroque villas built from the 17th century onwards by wealthy Palermitan aristocrats as their summer residences. Unfortunately, they are all close to the public with the exception of the famous Villa Palagonia.

Villa Butera – This stands at the southern end of Corso Butera. It was built in the second half of the 1600s by the Prince Branciforti from Raccuia. Although in a poor condition, it retains a well-preserved doorway on its eastern side that provides access to the noble floor, betraying a Spanish influence.

Villa Palagonia – The entrance is the rear of the Villa which faces onto Piazza Garibaldi, at the end of the fine Corso Umberto I, the city’s main thoroughfare. It is the most celebrated of Bagheria palazzi, with an elegant building dating back to 1715 with an unusual shape: the façade is concave, almost as if to welcome the visitor, while the rear is convex. Built by the Prince Gravina, the exuberant sculptural decoration along the top of the wall in front of the façade is owed to his grand-son Ferdinando Gravina Alliata. This arrangement, consisting of some sixty crude and often monstrous tufa statues, has provoked various esoteric interpretations. They include mythological figures, ladies, gentlemen, musicians, soldiers, dragoons and grotesque beasts with threatening expressions, creating a surreal atmosphere. The statues are placed in a peculiar way, facing in towards the villa and not, as was usual, towards outside to keep evil spirits at bay. The outcome provides an insight into the mind and spirit of the prince, who aimed to surprise, if not frighten, his guests. The eccentricity runs through the villa’s reception rooms. The fine oval entrance, decorated with trompe l'oeil frescoes illustrating Heracles’ Twelve Labours, gives access to the Sala degli Specchi (hall of mirrors), with a ceiling encrusted with mirrors set at different angles, so as to distort the reflection of anyone entering the room, projecting it through a kaleidoscope of images multiplied a hundredfold to infinity or reduced to nothing with each step taken (today, sadly, this magical effect is barely discernible). The upper part of the hall is ornamented with a trompe l’oeil, a balustrade enclosing a series of inquisitive animals and birds; these caught occasionally by a mirror in the ceiling, are reflected as though they existed under an open sky. The illusion is reinforced furher by other decorative effects as panels of real marble are set alongside others of painted paper under glass: the real may be differentiated from the unreal from a few feet away.

Villa Cattolica – The villa is currently under refurbishment; its gardens harbour the tomb of the painter Renato Guttuso, a native of Bagheria, designed and executed by the sculptor Manzù.

Palermo
Alia
Alimena
Alimusa
Altavilla Milicia
Altofonte
Bagheria
Balestrate
Baucina
Belmonte Mezzagno
Bisacquino
Blufi
Bolognetta
Bompietro
Borgetto
Caccamo
Caltavuturo
Campofelice Di Fitalia
Campofelice Di Roccella
Campofiorito
Camporeale
Capaci
Carini
Castelbuono
Casteldaccia
Castellana Sicula
Castelnuovo Di Sicilia
Castronovo Di Sicilia
Cefalà
Cefalù
Cerda
Chiusa Sclafani
Ciminnà
Cinisi
Collesano
Contessa Entellina
Corleone
Ficarazzi
Gangi
Geraci Siculo
Giardinello
Giuliana
Godrano
Gratteri
Isnello
Isola Delle Femmine
Lascari
Lercara Friddi
Marineo
Mezzojuso
Misilmeri
Monreale
Montelepre
Montemaggiore Belsito
Palazzo Adriano
Partinico
Petralia Soprana
Petralia Sottana
Piana Degli Albanesi
Polizzi Generosa
Pollina
Prizzi
Roccamena
Roccapalumba
San Cipirello
San Giuseppe Iato
San Mauro Castelverde
Santa Cristina Gela
Santa Flavia
Sciara
Scillato
Sclafani Bagni
Termini Imerese
Terrasini
Torretta
Trabia
Trappeto
Ustica
Valledolmo
Ventimiglia Di Sicilia
Vicari
Villabate
Villafrati

Isola di Ustica
Monti Madonie
Bosco Della Ficuzza
Mondello
Porticello
San Martino Delle Scale
Solunto
Solanto
Scavi Del Monte Jato

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