Bagheria

Città delle ville

Scuola Secondaria di I grado

Giosue Carducci

Bagheria yesterdayBagheria Now

Bagheria's coat of arms

It's characterized by a mural crown “with towers”

Typical emblem of civic heraldry of Medieval Communal origin.

On the right a rampant lion.

On the left a small branch of a vine with clusters.

The name of Bagheria derives its name from Bayheria that means place descending to the sea.

The first buildings appeared along the coast from xv century ,they were only watch -towers and around them all the farm labourers' houses were built.

Vines, olive trees, almonds trees and indian figs were coltivated in the area.

In 1658 Giuseppe Branciforti, Count of Raccuja, decided to retire in Bagheria,where he built Villa Butera and around it the first village would developed.

In 1769 Salvatore Branciforti,Prince of Butera, planned its first town scheme.

Since them all the other vinas were built and the place soon became the favourite holiday resort of aristocraty.

The village developed into a town and in 1826 it was decreed “town” by Francesco I.

Palazzo VillarosaBuilt from 1770 by Placido

Notarbartolo,Duke of Villarosa.

It is located on the slope of Mt. Giancaldo.

It is in neoclassic styleWith elements from Greek art

without following any baroque rules.

Palazzo ButeraIt is the oldest palace in Bagheria.

It was built in 1658 by Prince Branciforti.

It looks like a Medieval castle shielded with walls and with

crenellated towers.Today,one of its wings is the seat of

theTown Hall

Villa ValguarneraBuilt in 1715

byPricess Maria Anna of Gravina.

The building is in neoclassic style.

Villa TrabiaIt was built in Neoclassic style in

1750by Prince Michele Gravina.

Palazzo Cuto’Built in 1712 by Onofrio Naselli,

Prince of Aragon.Today it is the seat of

the Toy MuseamAnd

Town Hall Library.

This is one of the most beautiful villas in town...

Villa Palagonia

Villa Palagonia is one of the most visited villas

It is very peculiar for its statues and architecture.

It was built in 1715

It was

Designed by the architects

Tommaso Maria Napoli

and

Agatino Daidone.

The Villa is called the Monsters' Palace

for its peculiar statues which stand along

the parapets and walls.

The statues are made of tuff rock from the near seaside resort “Aspra” -a village on the coast.

The statues represent imaginary animals,grotesque figures, statues of knights,musicians, women

Il salone da ballo è noto come ‘’Sala degli Specchi’’

It is a beautiful Hall profusely decorated with frescos and its cealing is covered with mirrors.

It is told that the Prince himself ordered to put mirrors which misshaped his guests'

appearance.

It is believed that the prince of Palagonia suffered himself from physical deformity.

 

It was Easter time in 1787 when the German poet

Johann Wolfang Goethe visited Villa Palagonia.

He was really shocked when he saw the statues and

he wrote pages and pages on his journals.

He also met the Prince Francesco Ferdinando Gravina II

And he descibed him as “

a tall and skinny man, an outstanding nobleman smartly dressed and with a powered face”