العربية
There are few more universally appreciated moments in design than a dramatic before-and-after reveal—especially when the home in question is an 18th-century Sicilian palace. Palazzo Castelluccio was built by the region’s most prominent patriarch, Marquis di Lorenzo del Castelluccio, in 1782, following the devastating earthquake that struck nearly a century earlier. It may have been a tragic natural disaster that destroyed much of the city, but the quake forced the people of Sicily to rebuild their beloved homes, cafés, and government buildings, which essentially ushered in a new wave of architectural styles. Most of the reconstruction took on a heavy Baroque look, but del Castelluccio opted for a neoclassical appearance for his family’s new home. Centuries later, Palazzo Castelluccio is still a gleaming testimony to classic Sicilian architecture and the city’s appreciation for all things decorative arts. And the story of how it stayed that way is chronicled in ACC Art Books’s A Palace in Sicily: A Palace Restored.
The palace changed hands in several occasions during the years. From the 18th to the mid 20th century, a Sicilian family lived there, and then in 1981, the Order of the Knights of Malta inherited the palazzo and kept it for 30 years. Any grand mansion requires substantial upkeep, and Palazzo Castelluccio wasn’t the exception. Though the Order kept it from collapsing to the ground in a great big cloud of dust and debris, the organization didn’t exactly look after the magnificent palace. So in 2011, French filmmaker Jean-Louis Remilleux purchased the palazzo and spent the next four years renovating it to its former glory before finally opening it to the public in 2018.
Restoring long-forgotten homes of nobility is Remilleux’s hobby, and he is good at it. He typically uses his own taste and judgment when it comes to the architecture and interiors in addition to the original style, but in the case of Palazzo Castelluccio, his inspiration was particular. After reading Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s 1958 fictional novel, The Leopard, about a Sicilian nobleman, Remilleux got to work on his new palazzo. He salvaged what he could from the 18th-century masterpiece, including the ceramic floors and colorful frescoes, but he also took some creative liberties that he imagined di Lampedusa would have approved.
There are now gilt-wood candelabras, Acanthus leaf-carved urns, and an eye-catching leopard-print tiled floor, among other punchy details that are somehow contemporary and period-style. A Palace in Sicily: A Palace Restored doesn’t just pull back the curtain on the finished palace, it details the four-year-long process through an elaborate array of photos, starting with the installation of the towering palm trees on the palazzo’s grand entrance that welcome guests.
The palace comprises 16,000 square feet spread across 105 rooms, including the music room, chapel, and ballroom. It’s one of the largest noble residences in Val di Noto with enough space for extended family, servants, and massive gatherings. Until only a few years ago, all of the splendor was kept under wraps. Now, the palace’s storied halls, which run from the ceremonial lounges to the former staff’s dining room, are available for tours. If traveling all the way to the eastern coast of Sicily to experience the elegance of the palace is a bit much, the pages of A Palace in Sicily: A Palace Restored will do just fine.
