Ghosts of the Belle Epoque: The History of the Grand Hotel et des Palmes, Palermo

Description

The Grand Hotel et des Palmes is an icon of Palermo life. Its rooms and public spaces have witnessed the events that have shaped twentieth century Sicily, everything from the suicide of a poet to political intrigues and a clandestine mafia meeting. The hotel has a long and venerable history. It started out as a private residence for the Ingham-Whitakers, the Anglo-Sicilian family of marsala wine fame, before being sold to the hotelier Enrico Ragusa in 1874. Wagner was one of the most eminent early guests, looking for inspiration to finish his last opera, Parsifal. A few days after its completion, a nervous Renoir arrived to paint his portrait. Months later came Guy de Maupassant, who asked to see Wagner's former suite so that he might detect 'a little of his personality'. The novelist and poet, Raymond Roussel, arrived in the 1930s, but was destined to leave in a coffin. Arthur Miller, Sophia Loren and Maria Callas were all guests and when Visconti was filming The Leopard in Sicily, the entire cast - notably Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale and Alain Delon - visited the hotel. Lancaster even dined with a Baron who had made the hotel his home for reasons shrouded in mystery. Less illustrious guests have included the occultist Aleister Crowley, Lucky Luciano and other mafiosi. Even Giulio Andreotti, the former Italian Prime Minister, who stood trial for complicity in the murder of a journalist and mafia association in the '90s opted for the hotel's Belle Epoque opulence. A richly researched history of this historic hotel, with a cast of characters ranging from the good to the bad and the decidedly ugly.

Andrew Edwards is a librarian, translator and freelance writer. He is currently translating two books set in Sicily by the Spanish author Alejandro Luque. He has written articles for The Linguist magazine and has also had translations published in Mirator and the Medieval History journal. Suzanne Edwards is a linguistics graduate and currently lectures at a Further Education college. Their previous books include IB Tauris's Sicily: A Literary Guide and Andalucia: A Literary Guide.

Behind their depictions of the great and the good, old and new money, the Church, the Mafia, the sexually depraved and the odd occultist, the authors provide a compelling backdrop of social and political change, unrest and migration in Sicily since the dawn of the 19th century ... [so] fix a gin and tonic, and try grand hotel history. -- Sean Williams * Literary Review * It is a remarkable achievement to maintain a thread of unity through so many incidences and colorful personages [...] the Edwards have designated themselves as pilots through truly soulful territory. -- Mark Spano * We the Italians *