This year, for the first time since its reopening as a Rocco Forte hotel, Villa Igiea will be open for the entire winter season, and it will be offering guests visits to film-set locations.
Itineraries on land and sea
For a luxury Palermo stay in winter Villa Igiea offers guests exclusive experiences such as behind-the-scenes access to Palermo's Teatro Massimo and cultural itineraries. Guests will also find themselves in close contact with nature by land and sea, such as the sailing itinerary from the Villa Igiea Marina, and gastronomic and wellness experiences. Among the alternative itineraries suggested by the hotel, Set-Jetting, created by the movie director Gabriele Muccino, accompanies guests to discover film-set locations in and around Palermo.
Tonnara di Scopello
The film-set of Ocean’s Twelve
Muccino’s itinerary starts from the well-known seaside resort of Mondello, with its white sands and crystal-clear waters, and the historic centre of Palermo from his film Fino alla fine (2024). It then continues through Palermo's historic streets and squares, including Vicolo Ponticello, Casa Professa and Piazza Bellini. On to the Tonnara di Scopello, between Castellammare del Golfo and San Vito lo Capo, and the Zingaro Nature Reserve, and the cove that served as the set for a scene in Steven Soderberg's film Ocean's Twelve (2004) starring George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts.
San Vito Lo Capo
Historic palaces used as film sets
Back to Palermo to visit Palazzo Gangi, the 18th-century residence of the Princes of Valguarnera made immortal by Luchino Visconti's The Leopard (1963). Film buffs will remember the scene of the ball, filmed in one of the palace's most elegant salons. Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale stayed at Villa Igiea during the filming. Far from the classic tourist routes Palazzo Abatellis, home of the Regional Gallery, was the evocative set of Wim Wenders' Palermo Shooting (2008). Here, using a painting, Muccino recounts the soul and contradictions of Palermo’s society, while Villa Palagonia is the last stop on the route that ends in Bagheria, the location chosen by Michelangelo Antonioni for L'Avventura (1960) and by Giuseppe Tornatore for Baarìa (2009).
Winter activities to enjoy in and around Palermo
The beaches of Mondello and San Vito lo Capo are ideal for winter walks and swimming thanks to the mild temperatures that can be enjoyed even in January. Not far away, the village of Cefalù, with its Arab-Norman style, is a UNESCO site not to be missed. The Zingaro Nature Reserve, perfect for hiking or cycling, offers breathtaking views of the Faraglioni of Scopello and visits to the historic 13th century Tonnara tuna fishery. Selinunte combines culture, nature and gastronomy, and a visit to its archaeological site, birdwatching on the beach, and olive oil tastings among centuries-old olive trees are just some of its many attractions.
