The sunrise over the Gulf of Termini Imerese,
the sunset over the Gulf of Palermo,
and the steady, refreshing sea breeze.
These were the reasons why wealthy aristocrats of 17th and 18th century Palermo built their magnificent summer villas in Bagheria. In those days the villas had large Mediterranean gardens attached, full of citrus trees and flowers.
The film "The Leopard" gives a taste of life in a historic Sicilian villa. Nowadays, two of the villas of Bagheria are open to the public as museums and one is used for luxurious weddings.
More interesting for many people, though, are the more modern villas and mansions built overlooking the sea. Their balconies and roof terraces offer breathtaking panoramas of the Gulf of Palermo, but many of them have their own private beaches as well. Some of these highly sought-after villas are available as holiday lettings.
The information on this site comes from our Sicily expert Britta Bohn.
Britta has been dealing with daily life and life in Sicily for over 20 years.
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