Bagherìa is located on the northern coast of the province of Palermo. It is the second largest city in the province after Palermo itself in terms of population (almost 53,000 in 2021).
All about Bagherìa (province of Palermo)
Tourist information
There is a Pro Loco Uffico di Informazione Turistica in the Corso Umberto I. Postcode Bagheria: 90011. Area code: 091.
By car/public transport
Bagheria is situated along the A19 motorway between Palermo and Catania. The provincial road SS113 (Settentrionale Sicula) travels right through the city. The nearest airport is the one of Palermo. The city has its own railway station.
Tourist attractions
The most famous attraction in Bagherìa, sometimes called the “City of Villas”, is the Villa Butera, which was built in 1658. Other villas are the Villa Valguarnera, in the center of a large park, the Villa Ladreria, the Villa Trabia and the Villa Ramacca. The Villa Cattolica is the current seat of the municipal library. Like the Villa Palagonia, all these buildings date back to the 18th century. The Villa Palagonia, because of its striking decorations, is also called Villa dei Mostri (“Villa of the Monsters”).
The Palazzo Villarosa has a beautiful portico with eight columns with fine capitals.
The cathedral was built in 1708.
Museums
The most important museums are the Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea and the “Museum of the Sicilian Cart”. The horse- or donkey-drawn Sicilian carts were extremely colourful with lots of ornate decorations, They were very popular in the 1920s.
History
Unlike most of the towns in the province, Bagherìa is a relatively young town. Its first nucleus was built by Prince Giuseppe di Branciforte. The Villa Butera was the residence of the prince, who afterwards kept extending the settlement.
He was succeeded by Salvatore Branciforte, who had many other villas built.
Nowadays, agriculture still plays an important role in the city’s economy. This is especially true for the cultivation of citrus fruits, grapes and olives.