In Catania, an ancient noble palace has been transformed into a romantic B&B maison d’art by the engineer turned architect Perla Fiamingo, with a passion for restoring ancient baroque buildings that she renovates to make them dream residences.

While, together with her family, Perla Fiamingo, the owner of the architecture and interior design studio of the same name, was looking for a home to renovate in the center of Catania, she fell in love at first sight with the wonderful frescoes ceiling of Palazzo Paternò del Grado and decided to buy it.

So, after a long restoration that brought to light all the wonderful original paintings and details of the Palazzo, its main floor today hosts the home of the Pattavina Fiamingo family and a B&B apartment that can be rented to experience a “baroque stay” in the center of the city, a few steps from its wonderful Cathedral dedicated to Sant’Agata.

I love to bring back to their ancient splendor the symbols of Baroque Sicily and give new life to even the smallest object. No memory should be forgotten.

(Perla Fiamingo)

The palace, built at the beginning of the 19th century by the House of Paternò, one of the oldest of the Italian aristocracy, is embellished with wonderful frescoed ceilings in splendid colors that served Perla as a palette to choose the nuances of the walls and fabrics of the antique furniture of the residence.

Perla has, in fact, a great talent and passion in the recovery of objects that she “saves” from buildings under renovation or searches for in auctions and markets and restores by combining fabrics and details that give it a refined contemporary twist.

The maison d’art is an extraordinary showcase of her talent. Like the antique wooden door that leads from the entrance to the bedroom, an extraordinary example of high craftsmanship from the late 19th century with an original glass window in which the initials of the Paternò del Grado family are engraved.

Or the modern kitchen with a mirrored counter that has the dual function of screening the stove and serving as a cocktail bar for the events and presentations that Perla organizes in the house.

The apartment’s passageway structure is beautiful, with large balconies in every room that open onto the cheerful popular life of the neighborhood, including the one in the living room that overlooks, almost as if you could touch it, the Baroque Church of San Giuseppe al Transito.

Upon request, Perla also shows guests her wonderful home, a very original in its interior design project that boasts black resinated wood parquet, a living room in which baroque gold is combined with bold pop touches, and an unusual pink atelier that she dedicated to her daughter’s favorite color.

At guests’ disposal, in addition to the use of the kitchen, there is also a breakfast set to prepare it the morning with coffee, tea, organic jams and various types of biscuits and muffins.

And all around, the magic of the centre of Catania, nicknamed the Black City, with its buildings and monuments in lava stone, such as the famous “Black Colosseum”.

The Secret

Perla’s family is one of artists, as can be seen from the original contemporary paintings on the walls by her sister Carlotta Fiamingo, including the beautiful series dedicated to Saint Agatha, the city’s patron saint.

Useful Info

Dimora Paternò del Grado
Via Riccardo da Lentini 5
95121 Catania
Tel. +39 331 9086925

Room from 150 euro