Palazzo Biscari
The facade of Palazzo Biscari gives almost nothing away — dark volcanic tuff, a grand portal carved with facial cartouches, the Biscari coat of arms. Then you step inside, and the arithmetic changes completely: some 700 rooms, a ballroom with a domed rococo ceiling, apartments paved with ancient Roman marble, a gallery hung with paintings of feudal estates.
At 160 metres across, this is the largest baroque palace in Catania, and it remains privately owned. You visit by guided tour or quiet self-guided wander, which means the crowds that queue at the nearby cathedral rarely follow you here.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who come back tend to linger in the Salone delle Feste — the orchestral ballroom — long after the guide has moved on, craning up at Sebastiano Lo Monaco's ceiling fresco. The minstrel's gallery cut into the upper wall, where musicians once played unseen, is the kind of detail that rewards a second look.
The story behind Palazzo Biscari
The 1693 earthquake that levelled much of eastern Sicily cleared the ground, literally, for Catania's baroque rebuilding. Ignazio Paternò Castello, 3rd Prince of Biscari, obtained permission to build on the city's old walls and commissioned architect Alonzo Di Benedetto for the earliest section. Ignazio died in 1699 before it was finished; his son Vincenzo continued the work, and it was Ignazio's grandson — Ignazio V, the 5th Prince (1714–1786) — who drove the palace to completion, inaugurated in 1763.
Ignazio V added the elaborately decorated seaside windows, sculpted by the Messinese Antonino Amato, and fitted out a private museum of archaeological and numismatic collections — later donated to the city in 1924 and transferred to Castello Ursino. In 1787, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe visited and wrote about the collection's richness in his Italian Journey.
Good to know
The palace is open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 1pm (afternoon hours vary — confirm by email before you go). Guided tours run in Italian, English and French; book at least a day ahead. Allow ninety minutes. It sits a short walk from Piazza Duomo, reachable on foot from AMT bus lines 1, 4 or D.
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What travellers say about Palazzo Biscari
The palace was stunning, especially the grand hall with its stucco-decorated ceiling and the staircase leading to the upper floor in the corridor. In the grand hall, music was playing, allowing us to better feel the unique atmosphere of the place. I recommend you to see this amazing place :)
Dont miss this on your visit to Catania! Very nice building 7-8 rooms were available to visit, each with a little info from scanning a QR code at the ticket desk
A magnificent Baroque palace with richly decorated interiors and a fascinating history. The guided tour brings the rooms and stories to life, making the visit even more engaging. Elegant, authentic, and full of character. A highlight in Catania worth visiting.
If you visit Catania, you cannot skip this place - It’s a masterpiece of a high art in every inch of a corner you look! HIGHLY RECOMMEND !
Beautiful palace. Palace is not really big, so in 20-25 minutes you have seen everything.
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