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The original nucleus of Villa Martorana Genuardi dates back to the XVI century and was intended for agricultural purposes, fitted with protections and defence structures. In fact, back then the building was quite exposed, standing in the actual outskirts of Palermo.

It is a complex that winds around a large rectangular courtyard. In the XVIII century, it was modified and decorated to become the summer residence of the owners – it still retains those elegant features.
The villa represents a typical example of a Sicilian “Baglio” (a typical building which includes a cobbled courtyard). The residence and its dependencies, in fact, are arranged on the sides of a large courtyard that has retained its ancient features, with a geometric design dividing the floor into regular areas filled with a single colour.

Inside, the villa includes large halls, which have become, like parts of the cottages and the stables – actual exhibition halls for antique furniture, ceramics, porcelain and carriages; some of those halls are also used as conference rooms.

THE GARDEN

The exterior of the villa consists of terraces and a large and variegated garden, where many trees grow, including spice trees, pepper trees (Piper nigrum), and date palms.

The outside area also includes a recently built winter garden.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)