Villa Malfitano Whitaker

Villa Malfitano Whitaker is a 19th-century rural palace located in Via Dante, in the quarter of Politeama of Palermo, Sicily. It is presently a museum displaying Whitaker's natural history and archaeological collections, as well as his artwork.

Villa Malfitano Whitaker
Villa Malfitano Whitaker, façade
General information
StatusHeadquarters of the Whitaker Foundation
TypeVilla
Architectural styleNeo-Renaissance and Eclecticism
LocationPalermo, Sicily, Italy
AddressVia Dante, 167
Construction started1886
Completed1889
ClientJoseph Whitaker
Technical details
Floor count3
Design and construction
ArchitectIgnazio Greco

History

The villa was built between 1886 and 1889 by the will of the Sicilian-English Joseph Whitaker. It was designed by the architect Ignazio Greco and represents a synthethis of Neo-Renaissance and Eclecticism styles.

The state rooms of the interior were frescoed with a rich floral trompe-l’oeil decoration by Ettore De Maria Bergler. Other smaller rooms have Flemish tapestries with scenes from the Aeneid and frescoes by Rocco Lentini and stuccoes by Salvatore Valenti.[1]

The garden of the villa was designed by Emilio Kunzmann and covers about seven hectares. Many rare plants from Tunisia, Sumatra, Australia and South America are located in it.

During the Belle Époque age the villa was the venue for lavish parties. The Whitaker family knew artists like Richard Wagner and the imperial dynasties of Great Britain, Germany and Russia.

The villa is currently the headquarters of the Whitaker Foundation.

References
  1. Tourism site for Palermo.

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