Palazzina Cinese, Royal palace museum in Parco della Favorita, Palermo, Italy
Palazzina Cinese is a royal palace museum in Parco della Favorita, Palermo, consisting of three floors with curved roofs and oriental-looking arches. The building displays on its facades and in its interiors a mix of architectural forms reminiscent of Asian pavilions and European villas.
King Ferdinand III of Sicily commissioned architect Giuseppe Venanzio Marvuglia at the end of the 18th century to expand and reshape an existing garden house. The works continued into the first years of the 19th century, with the building serving as a retreat for the royal family.
Inside the building, wall paintings combine motifs from several cultures, showing exotic scenes alongside classical European representations. The rooms bear names like Turkish Hall or Chinese Hall, reflecting the period's fascination with distant lands.
Access is through the large park where the building stands, so visitors should plan a short walk from the entrance to the villa. The interior rooms are connected by stairs, which may limit movement between floors.
The dining room features a mechanical table that could lift dishes directly from the kitchen upstairs, allowing the royal couple to dine without servants present. This system enabled private meals where no one could overhear conversations.
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