The South of Italy and particularly the island of Sicily, a microcosm of cultures, is close to my heart. Most of my life I read every book I could, either from masters like Pirandello, Verga, Sciascia, or just for entertainment like the complete series of Camilleri’s detective Montalbano stories.
I love everything Sicilian (but no, not the mafia!) and for me Sicilian food is one of the best in Italy, with its triumph of flavors, colors and references to past dominations.
This classic Sicilian villa built in the 1800’s and left vacant for 40 years, with all the original furnishing covered with white drapes, was recently restored for new owners by architect Corrado Papa, with great attention to its history and soul.
It sits in a gorgeous garden full of Mediterranean and Tropical plants in Noto, a pre-Roman town renown for its Baroque palaces and churches which were declared a Unesco World Heritage in 2002.
A view of the Loggia inspires dreams of early morning breakfasts or drinks at sunset.
The double staircase which often we can see also on the exterior of Sicilian palaces in this case brings upstairs to the magnificent dining room.
Golden custom wallpaper and antique chairs and table make this dining room in the typical style of 1800 aristocratic Sicilian interiors.
One of the bathrooms is now located in the old kitchen, where we can still see the big water reservoir and the copper pots where water was heated.
The magnificent trompe l’oeil in the living room has banana trees, agave, jasmine, palms…and luxurious painted draperies inspired by Luchino Visconti timeless masterpiece movie Il Gattopardo from the superb book by Tomasi di Lampedusa.
The floor is made of Sicilian ceramic tiles with a border of local white stone.
One of the bedrooms with, like in other rooms, custom made wallpaper from France and furniture original from the time the villa was built for the previous owners.
A small chapel was created in another building on the same property.
Amongst olive trees and palms even the pool was carefully designed not to be intrusive in the landscape. No bold blue or turquoise here, but a restrained neutral color for the inside of the pool.
A great project accomplished with the skills of local artisans to maintain the atmosphere, dense of cultural references of the past .
Photography by Aldo Garozzo
©2014 Brillante Interiors writes about new trends, timeless decor, iconic pieces, design ideas, or at times just musing about "a certain Italian way of doing things".
If you receive this post by Email and wish to leave a comment please click HERE and go to the comments section. We love your comments!
If you need help to enjoy your home more, please send us an email. It will be an investment in happiness at home, because a well designed house is always a good part of a great life and a beautiful room will make you happy every time you walk in!
Posts
