In the late nineteenth century, the pre-eminent Italian painter Giovanni Boldini was commissioned to paint his now famous portrait of the iconic Sicilian Belle Époque socialite Donna Franca Florio. As the story goes, Boldini's initial version, which saw Donna Franca in a short-sleeved and low-cut black evening dress, was not approved of by Donna Franca’s husband, who reportedly found it too risqué. He demanded that Boldini lengthen Franca’s dress, and add full, wide black lace. Boldini obliged, and Franca remained covered in her portrait until 1924 when, with the collapse of the Florio family's wealth, the painting was acquired by French art collector Maurice de Rothschild, who commissioned Boldini to restore Franca to her original, provocative self.
It is perhaps the perfect metaphor for the recent revival of a long-obscured tradition of Sicilian matriarchy. Often referred to as the crossroads of the Western world, Sicily ’s prime location in the centre of the Mediterranean has seen its culture shaped by the peripatetic civilisations that have passed through over the millennia – Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans and Spaniards have all left their mark in cathedrals, temples and art. But so too have the women of the island, their entrepreneurship and innovation leaving an indelible mark on Sicilian civilisation.
It is this hidden heritage that a new Sicilian matriarchy experience at Villa Igiea and Verdura Resort , Rocco Forte’s luxury Sicilian properties, aims to explore. Inspired by the glamorous Donna Franca Florio herself, part of the great Italian Florio dynasty and a woman as famous in her day as Princess Diana, it explores the powerful women who brought creativity to the island in the twentieth century.
Much like the Princess of Wales, Franca added a youthful charm to aristocratic Palermo at the turn of the century. An art patron, Franca’s cultural and social clout brought prestige to the Florios’ vast business empire, cementing it as a hub for European elites. With Franca in mind, Rocco Forte’s matriarchy experience offers a new way to discover Sicily, with all women-led experiences curated into itineraries for the two respective properties.
Even with Florios’ extensive wealth, Franca’s power as a woman wasn’t a total anomaly in the early twentieth century, according to Stefania Auci, best-selling author of Fall of the Florios. “The hidden matriarchy in southern Italy has [long been] a form of power that women have taken possession of over the centuries,” Auci says. “There were many powerful women in Sicily, not only among the sovereigns and women of the high aristocracy, but also in the lower strata of the population.
“They were strong and charismatic,” she continues. “Just think of the experiences of the rebellion of the workers at the end of the 19th century to understand how, in reality Sicilian women if not anything but silent and submissive, but who had will and fortitude. Men had the illusion of commanding but in fact, women also had a lot of power through their influence on their sons.”
Touching down in the island’s addictively energetic capital of Palermo, it is easy why Villa Igiea is the perfect hub for a matriarchal retreat. A prized landmark, the 178-room neo-Gothic villa was built by and home to the Florio family themselves, dubbed the “uncrowned kings of Sicily,” during the Belle Epoque. Purchased by Ignazio and Franca Florio it was initially used as a health retreat for their ailing daughter, before they transformed it into a hotel which would quickly become known for its glittering guest list, including kings, emperors and entertainment royalty like Roberto Rossellini and Sophia Loren, who graced its grand suites and salons. Now, in a serendipitous turn of events, it is Rocco Forte’s daughter Irene who has taken the mantle of health and wellness at the property, with a spa featuring her own skincare line as one of the hotel’s star attractions.
Outside, the tiered gardens are a verdant picture of palms, jacaranda and pine trees. Designed by fin-de-siècle architect Ernesto Basile, the property is Art Nouveau embodied, a castle fitted with crenellations, towers and turrets. Inside, there are all the decorative floral flourishes one would expect of the Belle Époque era and a palette of blues, greens, yellows and browns, echoed in the revitalised rooms and suites.
Just a ten-minute drive from Villa Igiea, in the theatrical hum of Palermo’s city centre, is one of the main attractions of the matriarchy itinerary. Tucked away on a side street, just off one of the city’s main thoroughfares, from the outside Palazzo Alliata di Pietratagliata is entirely inconspicuous. Now occupied by Princess Signoretta Alliata di Pietratagliata, whose family has lived in the over the palace’s four stories since the middle of the 18th century.
Walking around the 6,500-square foot apartment with the Princess and her daughter, there is a distinctly homely feel to the property, despite its staggering opulence. The main living room is is decorated with centuries-old family portraits, a French grand piano, elaborate painted family tree and ancestral armour. It is also, though, where the princess likes to stage Easter-egg hunts for her grandchildren, and where the family daschund can often be found. “Each generation made its own contribution,” the Princess tells us.
Sicilians are fiercely proud of the way their island has allowed various cultures to co-exist over the centuries, and the palazzo is no different. The family’s balcony looking out over Palermo’s distinct narrow streets is almost touching distance from their neighbours’ – the Princess tells me they chat every morning. “It is a very beautiful and off-the-beaten-path version of Sicily,” she adds. Her daughter is similarly immersed in the community, setting up and running a restaurant in town.
For visitors looking to get a further sense of Palermo’s history through the eyes of women, a trip to of the Duke of Serradifalco Garden is also on the itinerary. Princess Amalia Licata di Baucina, who worked to revitalise the space, is on hand to give a tour - keep an eye out for the centuries old plants.
Meanwhile, a little over an hour’s drive from Palermo is the luxury Verdura Resort, a sprawling beachfront property just outside the vibrant port town of Sciacca, a little-explored corner of southern Sicily. Couched in acres of lush golf-course, with no fewer than four restaurants and five bars and one of the largest spas in Italy, the purpose-built resort is a modern escape that allows visitors to be whisked away from the non-stop Sicilian energy.
Spread over 500-acres of private coastline, it is the perfect place to watch the sun go down. Renowned Italian architect Flavio Albanese designed the stunning stone-and-wood utilitarian-esque structures that house the whopping 203 guest rooms. Inside, burnt orange and red interiors give the rooms a warm feel, as does the custom rattan furniture.
The resort also boasts a prime loaction, not only for its sea access, but also being a short drive from the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, Sicily’s foremost archeological site, home to seven temples dating from the 6th century BC to the 6th century AD. It is here that another of the itinerary’s experiences takes place. During a couscous cooking class, visitors can discover how the foodstuff serves a key to female empowerment in the small community of Senegalese women in Agrigento.
In Sciacca, our stop on the matriarchy itinerary includes visits to some of the town’s unique ateliers aiming to keep traditional women-led crafts alive, like a local coral museum and jewelry shop helmed by Laura Nocito. Never harvested when it is alive, but rather collected from an ancient deposit discovered in the 19th century Sciacca coral is a unique material.
When we visit, Laura explains that she inherited the traditional art of transforming coral into jewellery from her grandmother, who initially had to hide her craft from her husband. She eventually transformed it into a booming business, and in turn became the primary breadwinner in her household. Laura herself has carried her ancestor’s mantle with enormous success, having designed for a competition for Louis Vuitton and Fendi, and seen the likes of the Princess of Jordan purchasing her products.
Through vignettes into Sicily’s forgotten women-led traditions, Rocco Forte’s matriarchy itinerary offers a genuinely exciting and innovative way to discover the island. For travellers looking to truly connect with Sicilian culture, look no further.
Rooms at Verdura Resort start from £336 per night on B&B basis roccofortehotels.com/hotels-and-resorts/verdura-resort . Villa Igiea offers rooms starting from £462 per night on B&B basis roccofortehotels.com/villa-igiea
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