Palazzo Sangiorgio enjoys a privileged view of Palazzo Biscari
Palazzo Biscari Catania
The Baroque palace of the Paternò Castello princes that hosted Goethe
From the rooftop of Palazzo Sangiorgio, a 5-star hotel in Catania, you can enjoy an exclusive view of Palazzo Biscari, one of the most important noble palaces of the Civita, and an eminent example of Catanese Baroque. A tangible testament to the city's 18th-century architecture, this palace was built for the Paternò Castello dynasty, the Princes of Biscari from whom it takes its name, on the 16th- century city walls thanks to a special royal permit.
The construction project and subsequent modifications involved several generations of Paternò Castello and some important craftsmen of the time, such as the architect Alonzo di Benedetto who oversaw the initial design, and his son Ignazio who followed the work after his father's death, commissioning the decorations of the windows overlooking the Marina to sculptor Antonio Amato.
The palace includes an archaeological, numismatic, and naturalistic museum that gives its name to the street it faces. This was commissioned by Ignazio Paternò Castello, 5th Prince of Biscari, a passionate scholar of history and art and a patron of the arts. The facade of this side of the palace preserves the largest and richest portal of 18th-century Catania, decorated with themes representing the allegories of Abundance, Fertility, Prosperity, and Wisdom.
Passing through it, you reach the inner courtyard which was once lush with vegetation. A forked staircase leads to the Sala dei Feudi, where large canvases depict the family's numerous feudal properties. Next is the Green Room, with paintings and inlays on the floor of Syracuse white stone, and the Red Room which houses portraits of some important members of the House of Biscari. From here, you access the Orchestra Hall or Ballroom, in a splendid Neapolitan Rococo style, adorned with mirrors, stuccoes, and ceiling frescoes that celebrate the glory of the Biscari family. Under the vault, a large oval balcony with a railing was used to accommodate musicians so that the music notes spread throughout the room without revealing their source. To reach it, you climb a “cloud bow” staircase decorated with stucco.
Timeless prestige
Palazzo Biscari, ieri come oggi, palcoscencio dell'alta società
Among the private rooms of the palace owners, the most interesting to visit is the room commissioned by Prince Ignazio V for his wife. It is a small and delightful suite with rosewood inlaid paneling and a floor featuring mosaics made from an elegant combination of Roman marble fragments.
The palace’s prestige has attracted great names in political and artistic history who found hospitality here during their stay in Sicily. Among them, perhaps the most renowned was Goethe in 1787, who immortalised the memory of his astonishment at the visit in his "Italian Journey”.