Description
With a Villa Palagonia entry ticket you step into the eccentric Baroque residence that has made Bagheria famous, in the province of Palermo. The villa is known for its unusual architecture and its richly decorated rooms, and the ticket opens them to you.
Building began in 1715 for Ferdinando Gravina, fourth prince of Palagonia, to a design by the Dominican friar Tommaso Maria Napoli, and the house was finished in 1749. Outside, look for the double flight of stairs beneath the Gravina family's coat of arms. Inside, an elliptical vestibule frescoed with the labours of Hercules leads to the main floor.
- The Hall of Mirrors, with a ceiling covered in mirrors, painted birds and marble high-reliefs of the family
- The chapel, entered from the great hall, and the billiard room, reached by crossing the Hall of Mirrors
- A floor with a polychrome marble design of eighteenth-century Sicily
- The garden around the villa
The ticket covers admission only. A guide and transport are not included, and the private apartments, a row of rooms in enfilade, can be seen only on a guided visit.