Villa Palagonia: A Bizarre Architectural Wonder

By Dr. Alberto Lunetta, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

If you’re looking for a unique spot to visit on the island, you can’t miss Bagheria and its “Villa of Monsters.”

“The amazing crowd of statues that surround his house appear at a distance like a little army drawn up for its defense; but when you get amongst them, and everyone assumes his likeness you imagine you have got into the realm of delusion and enchantment… the inside of this enchanting castle corresponds to the out; it is in every respect as whimsical and fantastical, and you cannot turn yourself to any side, where you are not stared in the face by some hideous figure or other.” --Patrick Brydone,18th century Scottish traveler, describing the palace of the Prince of Palagonia in“A Tour through Sicily and Malta”

Bagheria is a picturesque town located a dozen miles from Palermo. In the 18th century, Sicilian aristocracy viewed it as the ideal coastal retreat to escape the heat of the summer. Noblemen competed in building the best and most amazing villas and furnishing them with the finest examples of art of the time.

“Sometimes in the middle of that crowd of small houses, a sudden vision, a rose-colored mansion in a marine tuff, its decorations cut into the stone, the statues of the roof top, and the majestic flight of stairs open like a fan. All of this to amuse the restless eyes of the gentlemen of centuries gone by.” --Dacia Maraini, Sicilian contemporary novelist

All those villas are absolutely must-see Bagheria highlights, but the most striking is undoubtedly “Villa Palagonia.” The owner, the seventh Prince of Palagonia Ferdinando Gravina e Alliata, was himself a very eccentric man, and he commissioned the construction of this unique palace in 1715. Modern visitors can still sense that this palace exerts a mysterious fascination.

According to historic sources, Prince Gravina e Alliata, who was nicknamed “the necromancer” and considered a madman by 18th century German poet and playwright Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, loved to play pranks on his guests. According to stories, he would eavesdrop on the visitors’ conversations while hiding behind a mirror, or invited them to sit on a chair with nails sticking out.

The design of his enchanting holiday residence was entrusted to the Dominican friar Tommaso Maria Napoli, an assistant architect to the Senate of Palermo with the title of “military engineer.” Agatino Daidone, another esteemed Sicilian architect, was appointed as collaborator to Fr. Napoli. The prince also employed an army of local craftsmen and artists to carve 200 statues that led to the nickname “Villa of Monsters.”

These statues depict grotesque animals, imaginary creatures and human beings, but also musicians, knights, and the prince himself. Only 62 statues out of 200 have survived.

Tradition has it that the idea of building a gallery of grotesque statues stemmed from the prince’s readings of the works of ancient Greek historian Diodorus Siculus, who speculated that the sun’s rays could create monstrous creatures out of the mud of the Nile River. There are also some spooky legends about the villa. One claimed that the monstrous stone statues would cause miscarriage to pregnant visitors.

Historians still debate the meaning of these statues, which make fun of Greek gods and cost the prince a fortune. Some believe that the prince was a visionary nonconformist who sought shelter in an imaginary world to escape from the conformity of both religion and the age of enlightenment in which he lived.

On the palace main façade, there is a magnificent double marble staircase. Inside, scenes of the “Labors of Hercules” decorate the ceiling of the adjoining dancing hall called “Sala degli Specchi” (Hall of Mirrors). This hall has unique scenic effects which are unique in the world. The hall has also precious colored glass windows and an inlaid 18th century Sicilian marble floor. The many mirrors create incredible visual effects of multiplied images as you walk under them.

The symbolic meaning of the multiplying images is related to the concept of birth and life. However, if you move to a different angle of the hall, your image will disappear, reminding you about human vanity and frailty.

The palace complex also hosts a small chapel housing a crucifix on which was placed the miniature of a man, resembling the prince, kneeling in prayer.

The palace, whose construction lasted 80 years, features five architectural styles. Its symmetric, massive and regular structure, enclosed by walls, comes from the Renaissance style. The Hall of Mirrors and the tuff grotesque statues are built in Baroque style. The dining room is richly decorated in Rococo style, and there are also features of neoclassical and Eastern styles.

In 1885, Palermo family Castronovo bought this beautiful villa and turned into a museum that gives modern visitors the chance to admire one of the masterpieces of Sicily’s Baroque architecture.

Bagheria is also the birthplace of Sicilian social realist painter Renato Guttuso, whose works are permanently displayed at Villa Cattolica, another magnificent mansion which houses Museo Guttuso (# 9 Via Consolare - https://www.facebook.com/ museoguttuso/).

Villa Palagonia is located in # 3 Piazza Garibaldi. Opening Hours: daily from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 to 7 p.m. For more information, directions and tickets visit https://www.villapalagonia.it/

The enchanting Villa Gravina di Palagonia, located in the heart of Bagheria, is one of the most imaginative and mysterious noblemen’s residences in the province of Palermo which has been attracting visitors and artists from all Europe for about three centuries. It features numerous spooky monstrous-looking sculptures, which reflect the bizarre character of a prince who lived there. Photo by: https://www.italiani.it