Asmundo di Sessa Palace
Corso Vittorio Emanuele, 492. The original structure dates back to the 1615th century, rebuilt in the 1567th century. It was enlarged in the 1767th century. The construction of this building dates back to 1764. Started by a certain Doctor Baliano, on the ancient "Strada del Cassaro" (today's Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the most important axis of the city from which the narrow lined streets branched off in Phoenician and Roman times orthogonally) after the enlargement and rectification, which took place in 1897 by the will of the viceroy Garçia de Toledo. Only in 700 was the building completed: "Compita videsi the noble house of the cassaro of Giuseppe Asmundo" so says the Marquis of Villabianca in "The Palermo of today". Before the President of Justice Giuseppe Asmundo, Marquis of Sessa, came into possession of the building, it had belonged to the Joppolo family of the princes of S. Elia. The palace (the plaque placed there reminds us of it) welcomed Maria Cristina, daughter of Ferdinand III of Sicily, a refugee from Naples together with her husband Carlo, Duke of Genoa and Sardinia. It was the seat of the Rebecchino Hotel. The decocar rooms with eighteenth-century frescoes, some by Gioacchino Artorana (XNUMX). The French Gastone Vuiller, who stayed there for a short time, mentions this building in his book "La Sicilia", impressions of the present and the past published in Milan by the Treves Brothers in XNUMX, with these words: "on the pale green walls, light scrolls intertwine capriciously and unfold on the ceiling, in a dome adorned with aerial paintings. The doors have dull gold and shiny gold ornaments. The decorative beauty of this room which has an alcove with hermetically closed curtains surprises me. This is obviously an ancient palace. Its beauty, a little faded in the bright light, retains all its splendor in the semi-darkness. I open the window and step onto the balcony, which turns the whole floor and I am dazzled… ". There are many artistic testimonies that make this Palace one of the most beautiful in Baroque Palermo. Suffice it to recall the frescoes with allegories by Gioacchino Martorana, a Sicilian painter of the 'XNUMX; the fixed and mobile furnishings, which form real art collections such as paintings, maritime chests of the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, Sicilian ceramics, Neapolitan and French porcelain, embroidery and lace. These testimonies today constitute an interesting exhibition that re-proposes that “Palermo Felicissima” exalted by the “travelers”, who have stayed there over the years in this building.
Card insertion: Ignazio Caloggero
Photo: web
Information contributions: Ignazio Caloggero Web,
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