BAROQUE BEAUTY
How architect Andrea Perra’s exquisite palazzo near Mount Etna has burst back into vibrant life thanks to his expert care and restoration
Andrea with fiancée Carla and niece Beatrice.
The salon with its Louis XV stools;
A 1710 fresco on the vaulted ceiling of the ballroom, of which Andrea is particularly proud
When Andrea Perra first set eyes on his magnificent palazzo near Mount Etna, it was – like the volcano itself – “sleeping, waiting to be awakened”. That was two decades ago, and thanks to his passion for interiors, the baroque beauty in Catania has burst back to life.
Restoring it was no small project, as the architect admits. “Maybe it’s because I was born near Etna that I’m enthusiastic and overflowing with energy,” he laughs as, accompanied by his fiancée Carla Travierso and niece Beatrice Floridia, he guides us through exquisite salons filled with frescoes, where the light of candelabra sets gilding ashimmer.
‘WE THROW THE KIND OF PARTIES NOBLES DID IN THE OLD DAYS’
Gold and ebony chinoiserie secretaire and Louis XV table, on which stands an art nouveau-style bronze urn;
The proud architect with a figure of San Lorenzo. Opposite page,
Beatrice, looking regally at home in the opulent interior, reminds her uncle of his beloved maternal grandmother Concetta – “her character, her expression and her ideals”, Andrea says fondly.