Checking-in to: Palazzo Previtera

CHECKING-IN TO | CABANA TRAVEL | CABANA MAGAZINE

An elegant guest house in the shadow of Mount Etna, with an unapologetically decadent more-is-more aesthetic - the likes of which can only really be found in Italy - Palazzo Previtera is unique to the Sicilian town of Linguaglossa. Anastasia Miari checks in for a stay, exploring the hotel's faded grandeur, and meeting the family giving it a new lease of life.

BY ANASTASIA MIARI | CABANA TRAVEL | 1 NOVEMBER 2024

Palazzo Previtera: each room is imbued with its own feeling and color © Marco Arguello 

Sitting just below the slopes of Mount Etna - the titan of a volcano puffing rings of smoke in full view of its rose and wisteria tendrilled terrace - a charming, resilient villa, Palazzo Previtera, has managed to evade eruptions, earthquakes and catastrophic lava flow since its inception in the 1600s by the Previtera family.

Still very much within the family, Palazzo Previtera is helmed by Alfio Puglisi, a young Sicilian aesthete determined to breathe life into his grandmother’s summer house. “When my parents lived here many of the rooms were closed and there were sheets draped over the furniture,” says Puglisi, who laments such a glorious piece of history being hidden for the sake of protecting the antique sofas.

Since 2023, Puglisi has worked on transforming the family home into a place to welcome guests as well as artists from all over the world. Now, the interior bursts with the rich hues it was injected with during the 19th-century.

Elaborate wallpapers and sumptuous brocades have been restored and Palazzo Previtera is open to be devoured by hungry eyes once more. Each opulent room leads onto another, with heavy draping (all original textiles that existed when the Palazzo was last given a makeover over 200 years ago) framing the threshold.

Characteristic of the eclectic design period during the 19th-century, each room is imbued with its own feeling and color. From the gloriously grand ‘Burgundy Room’ and its hand painted, ornate wallpaper to rooms in pink, yellow, turquoise and dusky blue, each room simultaneously contrasting and complementing. Injections of the fresh and modern come from individual pieces of furniture and contemporary art dotted around the space. A 1980s faded peach suede sofa by Italian designer Vico Magistretti sits beneath two imposing portraits from the 19th century.

Elsewhere, contemporary art pieces inspired by the house and gardens itself line the skirting board of a pastel pink reading room, exploding pops of fuschia and acid green into the otherwise subdued space, a large cushion haphazardly thrown onto the floor beside them for lounging. At the entrance, a steel staircase leads to a mezzanine hiding a secret library of seemingly ancient volumes on modern steel shelving. The combination of old and new is testament to Puglisi’s intention: to make Palazzo Previtera into something more than just another museum.

“I wanted the space to live and breathe again,” he says, explaining that inviting artists for a residency creates an exchange between those visiting and the space itself. It inspires and is inspired and rejuvenated in return. For those lucky enough to reserve a room in the original bedrooms of the house, three doubles and a single featuring original furniture and tiles from the 1800s await. Almond biscotti from the local bar, Barone, an institution in Linguaglossa greet guests on arrival.

Spacious, recently renovated bathrooms have power showers, a luxury not to be underestimated in a 300-year-old building. Just through the kitchen with its mid-century formica furniture, breakfast is served in the lush garden on fine china. In full view of Etna, guests start the day with an indulgent combination of Sicilian pastries, local cheeses, rose petal jam from the garden, cold cuts and freshly squeezed juice.

Beyond the main house and further into the garden, Puglisi is extending his space with two lava stone cottages and two extra suites along with an apartment for artists in residence and an adjoining studio. Guests are given a set of keys and can come and go as they please, alongside Puglisi who lives in the Palazzo himself.

A swimming pool with a view onto the volcano is currently in the works in the garden, a final addition to complete Palazzo Previtera’s transformation. Puglisi has succeeded in creating a modern guest house that celebrates its Sicilian heritage just as much as it inspires a vision for a new future.

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Anastasia Miari is a British-Greek writer and chef | Follow Anastasia on Instagram @matriarcheats