Palazzo Butera
This is the oldest of the villas, built by prince Giuseppe Branciforti in 1658, who decided to live here in self-imposed exile after suffering political disappointment in the capital. It was his palatial estate that set off the rush for other nobility to come here, a sort of "keeping up with the landed Joneses." Built like a medieval fortress, Villa Butera was protected by surrounding walls and two crenellated towers, one of which was knocked down in the 19th century because of its precarious state. Its rectangular plan has two sweeping stairways, as was the style of the times. A clock was installed on the facade of the new wing; also added was an eerie chapterhouse, with life-size wax figures of monks. Regrettably, the villa has been ransacked over the years, most recently in 2009, when a collection of majolicas from the 1700s were stolen. But that shouldn't happen again: in 2016 it was purchased by a foundation, who have been restoring it ever since. On its ground floor are now galleries for changing exhibits, the second floor is a permanent museum displaying the Valsecchi art collection.
This is the oldest of the villas, built by prince Giuseppe Branciforti in 1658, who decided to live here in self-imposed exile after suffering political disappointment in the capital. It was his palatial estate that set off the rush for other nobility to come here, a sort of "keeping up with the landed Joneses." Built like a medieval fortress, Villa Butera was protected by surrounding walls and two crenellated towers, one of which was knocked down in the 19th century because of its precarious state. Its rectangular plan has two sweeping stairways, as was the style of the times. A clock was installed on the facade of the new wing; also added was an eerie chapterhouse, with life-size wax figures of monks. Regrettably, the villa has been ransacked over the years, most recently in 2009, when a collection of majolicas from the 1700s were stolen. But that shouldn't happen again: in 2016 it was purchased by a foundation, who have been restoring it ever since. On its ground floor are now galleries for changing exhibits, the second floor is a permanent museum displaying the Valsecchi art collection.
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