Photo: Davide Mauro, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
- Period
- Early modern period, 1793
- Style
- Neoclassicism
- Architect
- Giuseppe Venanzio Marvuglia
- Coordinates
- 38°04′25″ N, 13°31′04″ E
History and description
The Villa Spedalotto is the country home of the Paternò di Spedalotto family. The villa is situated on a hill surrounded by olive groves at Bagheria, near Palermo in Sicily. As all the Villas in Bagheria, it was built as a country house, and was traditionally used by the family only during the spring and autumn. While considered a national monument, it remains a private residence.
History
The house was first conceived by Don Barbaro Arezzo who employed in 1783 the architect Giovanni Emanuele Incardona to design his country house, the result - Villa Spedalotto was built between 1784 and 1793. The architect had been a student of Giuseppe Venanzio Marvuglia, one of Sicily's promoters of Neoclassicism. In 1790, while still under construction, the house was purchased by Don Onofrio Emanuele Paternò di Raddusa, Baron of Spedalotto and Gallitano.
In 1799, the villa was used to accommodate the exiled royal family of Naples Francis of Bourbon (the future King Francis I), his wife Archduchess Maria Clementina of Austria, and the daughter Maria Carolina (future Duchess of Berry). The royal family had escaped from Naples following the revolution of 1799.
A tradition is that King Ferdinand II of The Two Sicilies was born in the villa on 1810, but his official historiography states he was born in the royal palace at Palermo.
During the 1870s Jesuit astronomer Father Angelo Secchi S.J. was often a guest at the villa. He was a close friend to the Marquess, and used the terrace for his observations of the heavens.
Architecture
The house, which is low, is built around an open courtyard of two wings flanking the corps de logis, at the centre of which is a large Greek revival portico giving access to the villa. The windows are ornamented by alternating pointed and segmented pediments.
Architecturally, the house is notable for its neoclassical facades. Built in the late 18th century, when Sicilian Baroque was falling from favour, the house shows influences of the neo-Grecian style which in Sicily immediately followed the Baroque. The interior of the villa has rooms decorated in early-Empire style, sometimes known as Pompeian, with Baroque influences, which involved copious quantities of trompe-l'œil. At the Villa Spedalotto, the frescoes by Elia Interguglielmi are clearly inspired by some drawings of Simon Vouet, now part of the collections of Versailles.
A distinguishing feature of the villa is the use of blue and white Vietri tiles, which cover the broad terrace looking towards the sea. They were placed in 1845, while between 1900 and the 1902 were replaced the tiles inside. The portico was partially damaged on the left side, from the British allied bombing in July 1943, and was reconstructed in 1945.
The villa has a chapel where in 1987, a daughter of the family, Silvia Paternò di Spedalotto, married H.R.H. The Duke of Aosta, a claimant to the Italian throne.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Villa Spedalotto».
Timeline
- 1793Built and opened
Events and people from Wikidata (CC0).
Getting there
Santa Flavia-Solunto-PorticelloTrain, nearest
1.5 km as the crow flies
Villa Spedalotto
Aeroporto di Palermo Falcone e Borsellino38.2 km
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore historic villas and palaces in Sicily
Frequently asked questions
Where is Villa Spedalotto?
Villa Spedalotto is in Santa Flavia, in the province of Palermo (Sicily), Italy. GPS coordinates: 38.07369, 13.51775.
How old is Villa Spedalotto?
Wikidata dates it to 1793.
What else is there to see near Villa Spedalotto?
Nearby you’ll find: Villa Valguarnera (400 m away), Villa Palagonia (900 m away), Villa Valdina (1 km away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Photos. Wikimedia Commons, author and licence on every image.
Credits for the 1 photos
- Villa Spedalotto — Davide Mauro, CC BY-SA 4.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences