Villa Filippina is presently an urban public park and host to various cultural events, with one entrance on Via Villa Filippina, facing the park in front of San Francesco di Paola, in Palermo, region of Sicily, Italy.

History

The site was conceived as a large cloister for the

Oratorian order An Oratorian is a member of one of the following religious orders: * Oratory of Saint Philip Neri (Roman Catholic), who use the postnominal letters C.O. * Oratory of Jesus (Roman Catholic) * Oratory of the Good Shepherd (Anglican) * Teologisk Orator ...

. The nearly circumvalent arcade was built between 1755-1757 under the patronage of Don Angelo Serio, who left his inheritance to the order. His portrait is sculpted on the inner side of the entrance arch. Some of the walls inside the arcade were frescoed by

Vito D’Anna Vito D'Anna (14 October 1718 – 13 October 1769) was an Italian painter, considered the most prominent painter of Palermitan rococo and one of the most important artists of Sicily. Biography He was the father of Alessandro D'Anna, the brother- ...

and

Antonio Manno Antonio Manno (1739 – 1810) was an Italian people, Italian painter of the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical style, active mainly in his Sicily. Biography He trained in his native Palermo initially with Vito d'Anna. Among Antonio's works in Sicily ...

. In the center is a Billiemi stone fountain (1759) sculpted by

Gioacchino Vitagliano Gioacchino Vitagliano (1669 – 27 April 1739) was a Sicilian Baroque sculptor. He was born and died in Palermo. He trained under Giacomo Serpotta, and married Serpotta's daughter. He sculpted the Fontana del Garraffo in Palermo. He also cr ...

, and decorated with statues of the saints Ignatius of Loyola,

Felix of Cantalice Felix of Cantalice, O.F.M. Cap. ( it, Felice da Cantalice; 18 May 1515 – 18 May 1587) was an Italian people, Italian Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, Capuchin friar of the 16th century. Canonized by Pope Clement XI in 1712, he was the first Capu ...

, Camillo de Lellis, and Carlo Borromeo. At the start or the 20th-century, the courtyard contained a movie theater and an arena. There are presently performances in the space, with a planetarium and astronomy museum now occupying the old cinema.Tourism entry for Comune of Palermo

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Filippina Villa Gardens in Palermo Parks in Palermo Buildings and structures in Palermo Villas in Sicily