Palermo, Casa Savona, an art deco jewel of the 20th century, opens to the public

Casa Savona, a new landmark in the city’s cultural heritage scene, opens to the public for the first time in Palermo , made accessible thanks to a project of the superintendency and on the occasion of the fifth edition of the Genius of Palermo, organized by the Vie dei Tesori. The historic mansion, located on Via Genova, can also be visited on Saturday, April 18 in the morning slot, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., while the stated goal of the regional department of cultural heritage is its future stable opening as a house-museum.

The building was acquired in 2023 by the Sicilian Region for just over 600,000 euros, after being declared an asset of historical and cultural interest. The administration exercised its right of first refusal, thus ensuring the public protection of a property that represents a significant testimony to the architecture and taste of twentieth-century Palermo.

The mansion fits into the urban fabric along the axis of Via Roma, in the heart of twentieth-century Palermo, within an Umbertine palace dating back to 1920. The rooms have been preserved almost in their entirety, offering a rare example of a dwelling in which furnishings, decorations and lighting restore a modern and articulate idea of living, consistent with the cultural and artistic context of the time.

Built between 1936 and 1938 on the commission of textile entrepreneur Ignazio Savona, the house is signed by artist Gino Morici, an eclectic figure capable of conceiving every detail of the dwelling. The project is distinguished by the desire to transform the spaces into a true immersive scenography, in which every element contributes to defining a coherent language of Art Deco matrix, characterized by a balance between decorative elegance and formal research.

More recent studies, however, have shown how the final result is the result of a broader collaboration. Indeed, alongside Morici emerges the role of engineer Giuseppe Arici, to whom we owe the distribution of the spaces and probably also part of the furnishings and technical solutions. The dialogue between the two figures resulted in a unified project in which architecture, design and decoration merge seamlessly.

Inside the house, every component is designed in an integrated way. Furniture, lighting systems and marble flooring are conceived as part of an organic whole, as are wall and ceiling decorations, paintings and the use of fine materials. Selected woods, metal inserts and refined decorative solutions help build an environment that preserves its original identity intact.

The result is that of a true creative workshop, capable of restoring one of the most significant and best-preserved examples of Art Deco style in Palermo. The house is not limited to being a historic home, but represents a concrete testimony to a cultural moment in which applied art and architecture intertwined to define new models of domestic life.

Further openings are also planned during the month of May, pending the definition of a definitive path to integrate the dwelling into the circuit of places of culture accessible to the public. In this sense, Casa Savona is proposed as a new point of reference for the knowledge and protection of Palermo’s historical and artistic heritage, offering an original look at a period that is still little explored but of great importance for the city’s history.

“It is confirmed,” says Regional Councillor for Culture Francesco Paolo Scarpinato, “the Schifani government’s great commitment to the preservation and enjoyment of cultural heritage. The €1 million renovation will transform Casa Savona into the heart of an Art Deco itinerary in Palermo.”

“It is a work of art, studied in its details and solutions, for the Savona family. Gino Morici and Giuseppe Arici,” explains Palermo’s Superintendent of Cultural Heritage Selima Giuliano, “create a wonderful result, just look at the fireplace designed as a small stage. Declaring it of cultural interest made it possible to save it and acquire it for the heritage of all.”

Palermo, Casa Savona, an art deco jewel of the 20th century, opens to the public

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