Ballroom at the Palazzo Valguarnera Gangi

            Palazzo Valguarnera Gangi is one of the large townhouses located in Palermo, Sicily. Palermo locates on the north- west coast by the sea; its location made it a center for commerce and vast prosperity. Palermo also harbors mild climate and fertile soil, so it eventually attracted the wealthy and noble to settle and transforming the area with artistic and linguistic forms. (1)

               Prince Pietro Valguarnera, a son of one of the most prestigious families of the Sicilian aristocracy of Spanish origin inherited his family title after his older brother past away, was the one who decided to commission the expansion of the Palazzo Valguarnera Gangi. The palace was constructed throughout the 18^th century. (2) Before construction of the mansion, Pietro Valguarnera needed to buy the warehouses on the western side of the main building, so he could have more space to build. Once he gained enough land, he paid Andrea Gigante, one of the best architects of the day, to begin designing for this masterpiece. (1)

             

The palace was designed in the Baroque style. It hosts a very grand and scenic entrance. They created a new main staircase in line with the main entrance and enlarge space dedicating to public reception rooms which allowed new areas for receptions that include three new antechambers, a banquet hall and a large gallery. (1) The palace also shows great richness of decorations and complete beauty of ornaments within its rooms. All of its rooms were filled with precious furnishing, decorations, tapestries, embroidery, china, glassware and furniture. (2)

          The grand ballroom is one of its most magnificent rooms with lavish sofas, woodwork, console tables, carved chairs, and well decorated walls, doors painted in pure gold and tall elegant mirrors that reflect stylish ornaments. The ceiling harbors similar extravagance, it is decorated with Murano glass chandeliers to candles that well resembles the luxurious styles of the era. (2) The Palazzo Valguarnera Gangi is one of the most successful representations of Baroque architecture that still stands today.   

Works Cited

     1.       Cotugno, Linda, Nuccio, Lucrezia. “Valguarnera- Gangi Palace: A Historical Cultural Urban Structure in Palermo”. 2011. Web. http://geografie.uvt.ro/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/ART_9_COTUGNO_NUCCIO.pdf

     2.      Stanzione, Nicola. "Palazzo Valguarnera Gangi - Www.palermoviva.it." Www.palermoviva.it. N.p., 2016. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.

     3.      "Palazzo Valguarnera-Gangi (Palermo)." All That Is Chic. N.p., 2016. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.