Il Palazzo Conte Federico

 Buon giorno

I got another good nights sleep, and dreamt that after all I'd found the archeological park. It was underground and I went down several staircases until I found one incomplete. No one could figure out what to do. So even in my dream I was thwarted.

But today was better. I booked a spot for a guided tour (more or less in English) of the Palazzo Conte Federico. The palazzo, one of the oldest buildings in Palermo, is still inhabited by the original family who claim descent from the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick "Stupor Mundi" II and also Normans. In fact the tour was conducted by one of the family who calls the Palazzo home--a handsome, young aristocrat named Niccolo. Maintaining a palazzo takes a lot of effort and--well--money, so if they can charge admission, so the public can also enjoy their home, I call that a win/win.

My tour was scheduled for noon, so I took the opportunity to go to the grocery store.  It is very sultry today, but the weather is about to turn, and I don't fancy carrying a load of groceries in the rain.  After dumping off the takings, I set out again, giving myself plenty of getting lost time due to self knowledge and experience, but in fact I did not get lost. I arrived early and was glad to sit down on a bench in the shade and play with my phone

I enjoyed the visit. The palazzo doesn't look like much from the outside and is on a narrow winding street. The public parts are organized around a lovely cortile or courtyard. We were herded upstairs to the historic parts of the palazzo.  You can tell that this is a "lived in" home rather than a museum, which added to its charm. For example family photos and portraits were on display, and Count Niccolo talked about his dad the race car driver and his mom the swimming champion and operatic soprano. Also the visit was punctuated by the presence of some black and white cats--as Niccolo explained, the real owners of the Palazzo.

The floors were custom made majolica tiles. Some of the rooms had painted cross beams. The more "modern" rooms had Baroque ceiling frescos. There were no great treasures, but a lot of family heirlooms.

The building was built by the Muslims on a Phoenician foundation and originally was part of the harbor defenses. When the Normans took over a lot of the harbor was filled in. The Palazzo is irregular because the room follow the route of the walls and incorporates the Muslim/Norman tower from the Twelfth  Century.

Because of the heat and humidity, by the time the tour was over, I was done for the day. I decided to take a short cut home, but the way led me through the market. Normally I'd be delighted and fascinated, but I did not like the crowds, the smoke, the smell, but my short cut did work out. I fetched up at the train station, which is very close to my place.

Ciao for now.