Palazzo Valguarnera-Gangi

Palazzo Valguarnera-Gangi is an urban palace, first of the Princes Valguarnera and then of the Princes Gangi, situated in the Piazza Croce dei Vespri, in the ancient quarter of the Kalsa in the city of Palermo, region of Sicily, Italy. The palace still retains its original rich Rococo interior decoration, and is located a block south of the church of Sant'Anna la Misericordia.

History

The house was constructed in several phases during the 18th century and completed in circa 1780. The palace is designed in the Baroque style, although its ornamentation is of a more severe form in respect of what is generally accepted as Sicilian Baroque. The tall windows of the piano nobile are decorated with alternating pointed and segmented pediments, while the windows of the lower and upper floors are much smaller, almost cell like, indicating a more modest function of the rooms they belong. In this way the architecture could be said to be more Renaissance than Baroque.

In 1750 the interior was created in a Rococo style by Marianna Valguarnera, with special furniture in the very ornate style, created by local

.

In 1963 the palazzo, and most memorably its ballroom, were the setting for

. Today, while the famous ballroom may be hired for events, and some rooms toured by reservation; the rest of the house is still used as a private residence.

References

• Gefen, Gérard (2001). Sicily, Land of the Leopard Princes. Tauris Parke.

38°06′53″N 13°21′57″E / 38.11475°N 13.36577°E / 38.11475; 13.36577