Stay at the Sicilian Villa That Inspired Dolce & Gabbana
It seems kismet to be writing about Villa Valguarnera while I’m reading ‘The Leopard’ (‘Il Gattopardo’) the timeless novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. Considered one of the greatest works of Italian literature, the story chronicles the changes in Sicilian life and society during the Risorgimento (You can also watch the 1963 classic 1963 film adaptation by Luchino Visconti).
One look at this striking Sicilian villa and we can easily imagine what life was once like for Sicilian nobility and aristocracy in the 19th century. Today, Villa Valguarnera is owned by Principessa Vittoria Alliata di Villafranca, a descendant of one of the most important aristocratic families in Sicily.
It was built in 1712 by the architect Tommaso Napoli for the princess Anna Gravina. The Baroque villa was modernized in the neoclassical style by her niece, Marianna Valguearnera, influenced by the works of Count Francesco Algarottil, a Venetian polymath, philosopher, and student of Isaac Newton’s alchemical studies.
The villa became a haven for Enlightenment thinkers persecuted during the Inquisition. She hired architect Niccolò Cento, who improved on the existing design using the golden ratio to transform it into the shape of a key, the symbolic key of knowledge.
The villa features gnostic and Masonic symbolism throughout the villa, referencing 18th century scientific knowledge through murals and masonry: alchemy, astrology, esotericism, navigation and geography, mathematics, philosophy, and botany.
The golden villa would attract a number of thought leaders over the centuries, from Goethe, Stendhal and the exiled Queen of Austria to Salvador Dalì, Dacia Maraini and Manolo Blanik.
In 1806, Maria Amalia, the niece of the recently beheaded Marie Antoinette and daughter of the exiled King of Naples met Louis Philippe of France on the steps of the grand staircase and they fell in love at first sight.
They wed against the family’s wishes, and requisitioned the entire piano nobile (first floor) of the villa—the piano nobile that is now available for rent, featuring 3 grand reception rooms, a ballroom, 4 bedroom suites, a music room, kitchen with larder, and 3 terraces overlooking the gardens with views over the gulf of Palermo.
The princess still lives in a private apartment on the second floor, and if you’re lucky, she may be home to regale you with tales of its illustrious history and more recent past—like when the Mafia used a helicopter to steal a 2,000-tonne statue of the Cyclops right from her garden!
The striking residence is described as “Palladian villa meets St Peter’s, Rome”, flanking a large oval piazza accessible from the main piazza of the town of Bagheria, once a summer retreat of Palermo's aristocracy.
It's no surprise that Villa Valguarnera inspired Dolce and Gabbana: it was the set location for their 2016 Dolce Rosa Excelsa campaign, starring Sophia Loren.
All photos belong to the property. .
