Favorita Park
Il park of the Favorita o real estate of the Favorita it is the largest city park in the municipality of Palermo. It is located within the Monte Pellegrino nature reserve.
Located at the foot of the Mount Pellegrino, is the large park created in 1799 by Ferdinand III of Bourbon, when the Parthenopean Revolution, pushed by the Napoleonic troops, drove him from Napoli (where he reigned with the name of Ferdinand IV). It seems that the sovereign wanted to reproduce the beauties of the palace of Portici. However, he did not scruple to expropriate a whole series of land, to carry out his project: a park of about 400 hectares which was called the Royal Estate of the Favorita.
La Favorita was at the same time a park where to enjoy the coolness on sultry summer days, a place for agricultural experiments with large crops of citrus fruits, olive, ash trees, nights e sumac, and a game reserve. Ferdinando was a passionate hunter and, among the paths of the park, he hunted pheasants, partridges, woodcocks and rabbits that populated the dense bush of holm e mastic.
In the Favorita park at the end of the 1790th century an area was used for balloons and hot-air balloons and in 1918 the first flight took place. In XNUMX the Favorita airport was inaugurated, which regularly housed airships, but the area was then used for sports facilities: today theracecourse and football stadium, which take their name. Furthermore, from 1937 to 1940, the park hosted four editions of the historic car race Targa Florio.
In 1971 the park hosted the second edition of the festival rock Palermo Pop, after the first held the previous year at the stadium. On that occasion i Black Sabbath they performed for the first time in Italy.
The park has been part of the "Monte Pellegrino" Regional Nature Reserve, extended over 1020 hectares, established by Sicilian region, and managed by the Rangers of Italy.
The park, which can be accessed from Piazza Leoni, extends from the slopes of Monte Pellegrino to the district of Pallavicino. Two long avenues, named after Hercules and Diana, run parallel to the park; originally intended for walking, today they are very busy communication arteries, because they connect the city with the well-known seaside resort of Mondello. Viale d'Ercole ends with a nineteenth-century fountain in neoclassical style, with a recently restored statue of the mythical hero in the center. The two avenues are perpendicularly intersected by Viale Pomona, dedicated to the goddess of fruit and gardens. In the Park Ferdinando also had a residence built on a project by Marvuglia: the curious Chinese building, in oriental style. The adjacent building, in the same style, now houses the G. Pitrè Ethnographic Museum. The park also hosts Villa Niscemi, a wonderful residence full of antique furnishings and works of art, the trotting racecourse, the stadium and other sports facilities. (Source Wikipedia)
Property bound under the law 1089/1939 (DPRS n. 486 of 04/04/68)
Card insertion: Ignazio Caloggero)
Photo: web
Information contributions: Web, Region of Sicily
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