Bagheria, Historic commune in eastern Sicily, Italy.
Bagheria is a commune in the Metropolitan City of Palermo in eastern Sicily, where numerous 18th-century villas with limestone decorations and ornate entrance gates shape the townscape. The streets run between these historic residences, decorated with statues and decorative elements made from local stone.
During the 17th century, Sicilian nobility transformed the agricultural land into an estate with grand residences, with Villa Butera emerging as the first major building. Over the following decades, additional noble families constructed their own summer villas along the main roads.
The Museum of Contemporary Art at Villa Cattolica displays works by native artist Renato Guttuso alongside collections from various Sicilian painters. The exhibition rooms occupy one of the historic estates that once served the Sicilian aristocracy as summer residences.
Visitors can reach Villa Palagonia and other historical buildings by following the main street, Corso Umberto I, which runs through the center. Several villas are located within walking distance of each other, making it easy to combine them in a single tour.
Villa Palagonia features around 200 carved stone figures of creatures with distorted human faces, animals, and mythological beings along its exterior walls. These grotesque sculptures from the 18th century are the work of Prince Francesco Gravina, who commissioned them as satirical representations.
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