In the central of Palermo, a boutique hotel born inside the sixteenth-century building of one of Sicily’s “gattopardi”, a house-museum where the current owners, the Arone di Valentino barons, are custodians of a century-old history they love to share with their guests, also through original “café chantant” style evenings.
A privileged “view” of Palermo, not only for its location a few steps from the Cathedral and the famous Quattro Canti, but above all because a stay at Palazzo Arone dei Baroni di Valentino allows you to “see” Sicily through the eyes and the history of one of the most important families in the city.
The ancient noble residence was built in 1555 by Don Gilberto Bologni Marquis of Marineo, one of the major protagonists of the island’s political scene, and then became the property of the princes of Castelnuovo, who enriched it with frescoes and stuccoes made by the most famous painters of the Sicilian eighteenth century.
We have created the boutique hotel to be able to pass on, through our guests, the history of our family and the cultural heritage of Palermo, with the hope that the values of the past can be a guiding light for the future.
(Arone di Valentino Family)
In 1874 the Palace was bought by Giuseppe Arone who gave it to his nephew Francesco, who married Donna Marianna Lanza Filangeri of the Princes of Mirto. Today it belongs to the heirs Bernardo and Simona Arone of Valentino, who have always lived there and looked after it, and who, together with their children, have created the precious boutique hotel.
The renovation has given life to 6 rooms, 2 of which are suites, and 2 apartments equipped with all modern comforts, leaving the historic part of the building intact.
For a fabulous stay, you can choose between the Deluxe ‘700 room with a large balcony overlooking the main street of the centre, a privileged position to enjoy the city promenade and the magnificent parade on the occasion of the Feast of the patron saint Rosalia, or the refined suite Donna Marianna in delicate shades of blue with a delightful original majolica floor.
For those who wish, included in the stay, the Arone di Valentino family has the pleasure of taking guests on a guided tour of the historic rooms of the building, magical places where time has stopped. Here, you will be able to learn anecdotes about illustrious guests of the residence such as Giacomo Puccini, for whom a reception was organized on the occasion of his premiere at the city’s opera house.
But above all, you will be able to “touch” the story, through the objects dear to her, of Donna Marianna, the one who, after her marriage to Francesco Arone, gave the building its current appearance, and who was a truly extraordinary woman. She was fluent in French and English, an opera lover, and enjoyed poetry and painting, thus becoming a point of reference for the world of culture of the time.
Among precious porcelains and fine paintings, you can admire the French fashion magazines that she had sent to choose clothes for special occasions or her letters, perfectly cataloged by herself (perhaps for the visionary idea that a book could be made from them), with which she describes the life of the time, including the dream parties she used to organize.
And this atmosphere can also be relived by the guests of Palazzo Arone dei Baroni di Valentino, thanks to the possibility of organizing candlelit dinners in the wonderful eighteenth-century dining room, musical evenings and book presentations that recall the cultural life of Sicilian aristocratic society from the 1700s and 1800s.
And, if you are lucky, you will be able to participate in the aperitifs that are organized fortnightly by Baroness Simona, to which family friends and guests of the boutique hotel are invited, enlivened by the sound of the grand piano singing a Waltz by Giuseppe Verdi and by the clinking of crystal glasses.
Breakfast boasts the same allure, served amidst silverware and a refined mise en place in a delightful little room with cobalt blue walls that goes well in contrast with the “Valentino” red that characterizes many of the rooms.
Thanks to the commitment and passion of the Arone di Valentino family, the building is today a real house museum, custodian of the highest Sicilian traditions.
The Secret
On the occasion of the restoration that involved, in various phases, the palace to accommodate the accommodation facility inside, Simona Arone di Valentino chose to keep the original 18th-century red velvet curtains of the dining room, albeit marked by time, as a tribute to a place that has literally seen the history of Sicily pass through its walls.
Useful Info
Palazzo Arone dei Baroni di Valentino
Via Vittorio Emanuele 376
90134 Palermo
Tel. +39 351 0268224
Rooms from 200 euros with breakfast, rates subject to promos and seasonality