Palazzo Biscari, Catania

Palazzo Biscari, Catania

Originally built in the 17thcentury by the Paternò Castello di Biscari family, the Palazzo Biscari was renovated and enlarged along the city wall in stages till its completion in 1763 by Francesco Battaglia, blending different architectural styles.

Originally built in the 17thcentury by the Paternò Castello di Biscari family, the Palazzo Biscari was renovated and enlarged along the city wall in stages till its completion in 1763 by Francesco Battaglia, blending different architectural styles. The south-west part overlooking the port on the marina arches is in grand Baroque style with its façade by Antonino Amato, while the south-eastern part is Neoclassical.

The palazzo has over 700 rooms, accessed through a large portal above which is the coat-of-arms of the Biscaris. It leads to the inner courtyard with a large double staircase made in basalt from Etna. The entrance has 17th century paintings of the Biscari State, leading to opulent rooms done in rococo style with frescoes, stuccoes, gilt, and mirrors. Of note are the majolica in the painting room, frescoes by Sebastiano Lo Monaco on the cupola and in the ballroom, portraits in the room of family portraits, paintings of Biscari feudatories in the dei Feudi (Fief Room), ancient Roman marbles in the princess apartments, and la stanza di Don Chisciotte (Don Quixote Room).