43031296

Palazzo Filangeri – Santa Margherita

757px-Palazzo_Filangeri_di_CutoThe Palazzo Filangeri-Cutò was a palace built in the 17th century by the Corberas, a noble family of Spanish origin, in the small Sicilian town of Santa Margherita di Belice. The palace provided the setting for Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa‘s celebrated novel The Leopard, which traced the evolution of Sicilian aristocracy in the 19th century.

The palace along with much of the town was severely damaged in an earthquake in 1968; in recent years efforts have been made to restore the palace grounds.
The locality became part of the feudal estate of a Spanish nobleman, Baron Antonio de Corbera, in the late 14th century. In the 17th century the Corbera family embarked on an ambitious architectural program, the most spectacular result of which was the Palazzo Filangeri-Cutò, built around 1680.

The 20th century aristocrat and novelist, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, who spent his childhood summers at the palace, gave a description of it in his memoir Places of My Infancy.

Set in the middle of the town, right on a leafy square, it spread over a vast expanse and contained about a hundred rooms, large and small. It gave the impression of an enclosed and self-sufficient entity, a kind of Vatican as it were, that included state-rooms, living-rooms, quarters for thirty guests, servants’ rooms, three enormous courtyards, stables and coach-houses, a private theatre and church, a large and very lovely garden, and a great orchard.

And what rooms they were! Prince Niccolò had had the good taste, almost unique for his time, not to ruin the 18th century salons…

“Prince Niccolò” was the novelist’s great-great-grandfather, Niccolò Filangeri, 7th Prince of Cutò and Prince of Satriano, Duke of San Martino and della Fabbrica (1760-1839). The palace became known as the Palazzo Filangeri di Cutò after he inherited and restored it.

The entrance hall was lined in a double row with portraits—dating as far back as the 1080s—of Tomasi di Lampedusa‘s ancestors. In the 18th century one of those ancestors, Niccolò’s father, Alessandro II Filangeri, 6th Prince of Cutò (1740-1806) had the palace grounds planted with exotic species such as palms, bamboo and orange trees, and balls were held in the grounds at night around a large fountain. The fountain itself was kept stocked with Belice River eels for the Prince’s table.

In 1812-13, the Palazzo became host for three months to the exiled Queen Maria Carolina of Naples and Sicily, elder sister of the French Queen Marie Antoinette.

Later the palazzo was the residence of the “Leopard” himself, Alessandro III Filangeri, 8th Prince of Cutò (1802-1854), last minister of the last King of the Two Sicilies, on whom his great-grandson, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, patterned the protagonist of the famous novel.

Alessandro III Filangeri had no sons. Eventually the palazzo passed on to his grandson (by his only daughter Giovanna Nicoletta, 9th Pricipessa di Cutò), Alessandro Mastrogiovanni-Tasca-Filangeri, 10th Prince of Cutò (1874-1942). (Lampedusa’s mother, Beatrice Mastrogiovanni-Tasca di Cutò (1870-1946), was this man’s older sister.)

In the latter part of the 20th century the Palazzo was sold, and the new owners sought to capitalize on their purchase by putting up for sale some of its historic fittings, including old paintings cut from ceiling panels. In 1963, the palace provided the setting for some scenes in Luchino Visconti‘s award-winning film adaptation of di Lampedusa’s novel, also named The Leopard.

Destruction

In January 1968, a massive earthquake devastated Santa Margherita, and many of the town’s historic buildings were destroyed or severely damaged. The Palazzo Filangeri-Cutò was almost totally destroyed, with only part of its facade remaining. The town was subsequently abandoned by its 6,000 or so residents, and a new town built for them adjacent to the old one.
Although the old town is now largely uninhabitable, much of it is still standing and it remains a tourist attraction. In recent years, the government formally recognized the old town’s value in this regard by restoring the historic grounds of the Palazzo Filangeri-Cutò to their original plan.

Slideshow, followed by tiled gallery:

Tiled Gallery:

Enhanced by Zemanta

220 thoughts on “Palazzo Filangeri – Santa Margherita”

  1. Pingback: fertility
  2. Pingback: van alarms london
  3. Pingback: clik the link
  4. Pingback: wyposażenie biura
  5. Pingback: Get the facts
  6. Pingback: online book of ra
  7. Pingback: Trackback
  8. Pingback: read what he said
  9. Pingback: additional info
  10. Pingback: water ionizer
  11. Pingback: Info
  12. Pingback: najlepsze lokaty
  13. Pingback: Trackback
  14. Pingback: tanmania.eu
  15. Pingback: Seo
  16. Pingback: Ideas
  17. Pingback: Graphic
  18. Pingback: News
  19. Pingback: Your Domain Name
  20. Pingback: restaurant quimper
  21. Pingback: Tech
  22. Pingback: water ionizer
  23. Pingback: e vapor cigarettes
  24. Pingback: Health
  25. Pingback: Finance
  26. Pingback: plombier paris 4
  27. Pingback: Liberty
  28. Pingback: ionized water
  29. Pingback: Business
  30. Pingback: textherback.info
  31. Pingback: Camp
  32. Pingback: Camp
  33. Pingback: Tech
  34. Pingback: Cheap Fashion
  35. Pingback: School
  36. Pingback: Visit Website
  37. Pingback: natural sleep aid
  38. Pingback: local seo tampa
  39. Pingback: over here
  40. Pingback: informacion veraz
  41. Pingback: this website
  42. Pingback: tdifs.biz
  43. Pingback: students
  44. Pingback: hefalimp cardijon
  45. Pingback: 15 pounds
  46. Pingback: online slots
  47. Pingback: water ionizer
  48. Pingback: Homepage
  49. Pingback: automotive
  50. Pingback: Sports
  51. Pingback: web
  52. Pingback: useful
  53. Pingback: read full here
  54. Pingback: reference
  55. Pingback: noumax.com
  56. Pingback: utilitech.info
  57. Pingback: siestabeach.info
  58. Pingback: situs bokep
  59. Pingback: lcbla.info
  60. Pingback: diedesign.info
  61. Pingback: twitter retweets
  62. Pingback: lawyer
  63. Pingback: Travel
  64. Pingback: belizia.info
  65. Pingback: flowerworks.info
  66. Pingback: go to the website
  67. Pingback: official source
  68. Pingback: Drywall Finishing
  69. Pingback: Knockdown Texture
  70. Pingback: insane value
  71. Pingback: gnld tuotteet
  72. Pingback: mcgrath hyundai
  73. Pingback: scentsy warmer
  74. Pingback: link m88
  75. Pingback: aaron KOCOUREK
  76. Pingback: presbicia laser
  77. Pingback: apprentice
  78. Pingback: bets10
  79. Pingback: Coupons
  80. Pingback: led message boards
  81. Pingback: dui book
  82. Pingback: trial key nod32
  83. Pingback: padi dive centre
  84. Pingback: openappmkt
  85. Pingback: modere products
  86. Pingback: home refinance
  87. Pingback: try this site
  88. Pingback: buy adipex online
  89. Pingback: bayan izmir escort
  90. Pingback: click here
  91. Pingback: leer m?s
  92. Pingback: buy hydrocodone
  93. Pingback: film izle
  94. Pingback: have a peek here
  95. Pingback: breadcrumbs
  96. Pingback: buy adderall
  97. Pingback: ??? ???? ????
  98. Pingback: Mr. Kuek
  99. Pingback: epub gratis
  100. Pingback: best vitamin d3
  101. Pingback: cyo.com.pl
  102. Pingback: Disney iPad Cover
  103. Pingback: cialis
  104. Pingback: articles
  105. Pingback: dentist in auburn
  106. Pingback: techno wallpaper
  107. Pingback: Shop Bath and Body
  108. Pingback: Elephant Art
  109. Pingback: perth seo
  110. Pingback: perth web designer
  111. Pingback: banana blue
  112. Pingback: descuentos peru
  113. Pingback: saber mas
  114. Pingback: el metodo Gabriel
  115. Pingback: Skull TShirts
  116. Pingback: my sources
  117. Pingback: Lloyd Schauwecker
  118. Pingback: Glow golf
  119. Pingback: mil anuncios
  120. Pingback: Website
  121. Pingback: wake up now
  122. Pingback: rolety szczecin
  123. Pingback: dekoracyjne
  124. Pingback: Law Books in India
  125. Pingback: here
  126. Pingback: Homepage
  127. Pingback: Gaming
  128. Pingback: CPA Sammamish
  129. Pingback: nikastic store

The Filangeri Family

%d bloggers like this: