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In the 1700s, Palermo was an important capital with more than its share of aristocratic families, many of whom accumulated immense fortunes by selling wheat or beef raised on vast farms hidden deep within the island's sprawling center, or by trading throughout the Mediterranean and as far abroad as the Orient and the New World. When temperatures rose in the city, as they inevitably did each summer, the patriarch would gather up his numerous brood with all their goods and take them off to the cool respite of their country baglio. These fortified country estates were built of stone and always featured a high perimeter wall, behind which were concealed a paved front courtyard usually shaded by tall palms, a rambling two-story home with room for everyone, and a secret rear giardino or garden where the sun's rays nourished healthy subtropical plants without searing sensitive human skin. Today, many of these bagli are virtually within the city limits, but when you walk through the front gate you would never know it thanks to the peace and quiet that always reigns within. Some have fallen into sad disuse and others are the exclusive realm of their owners, but this exception, home to the president of Italy's leading environmental organization, is available for a maximum of six lucky travelers at a time.
You'll have to drive past a warren of ugly modern homes to get here, but the first part of the fifteen-minute drive from downtown Palermo takes you through the stupendous and seemingly endless park of the Favorita. Leave your car right outside the gate, step into the peaceful courtyard, and you will soon be met by your energetic English-speaking hostess Gabriella, who personifies the warmth for which Sicilians are famous. She will lead you into her delightful home, scented with flowers and spices, filled to the brim with books and family heirlooms. Upstairs are the guest quarters, consisting of one room with a double bed and a daybed, one pretty pink single room, a double bedroom and two modern bathrooms with showers. One of the bathrooms is right next door to the double bedroom. The other bathroom is en suite in the single room, so it is rented only in combination with the triple room. Because of this configuration, the B&B is best suited for groups of four to six friends or family.
Breakfast, a wonderful array of fresh organic fruits and eggs, along with homemade breads and pastries, is served in the family dining room in cooler months, or on the covered veranda most of the time. This faces onto the wonderful garden, as varied and fascinating as many a municipal botanical garden. There are plenty of lemons and oranges, of course, but there are also many rare exotic trees, as well as banks of vivid wildflowers interspersed with carefully arranged bushes and shrubs. Seated with your fresh juice or perhaps with a book on one of the benches amongst the lush greenery, it will be very hard to believe that Gabriella planted every single seed in what was a barren field only 25 years ago. But then, this is just one of the many, many secret miracles that Sicily presents to those who are curious enough to discover them. Gabriella is delighted to share the secrets of her Giardino di Palermo with her guests, along with ideas for wonderful day trips, perhaps to Monreale, Segesta, Cefalù, and of course, to the spectacular sights of Palermo.
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| Nightly B&B Rates for 2008 (per room) Two-Night Minimum Stay | |||
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| Includes taxes, services & breakfast |
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| Low Season: Jan. 7-Feb. 29 Nov. 1-Dec. 2 |
Mid Season: March 1-April 6 April 16-June 30 Sept. 1-Oct. 31 |
High Season: Jan. 1-6 April 7-15 July 1-Aug. 31 Dec. 30-Jan. 6, 2009 |
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| Single Room | 100.00 EURO | 100.00 EURO | 100.00 EURO |
| Double Room | 113.00 EURO | 127.00 EURO | 138.00 EURO |
| Triple Room | 159.00 EURO | 165.00 EURO | 175.00 EURO |
No children under 10 years of age, please!
Click here for information about getting to Sicily.
Click here for information about private transfers to the property.
Please note that you need a car to stay here.
