Florio Palace

The palace of the famous family of entrepreneurs of Calabrian origin, which has projected Sicily into the industrial era, catches the eye as soon as you reach the port. Built on a project by the architect Giuseppe Damiani Almeyda between 1876 and 1878, in the place where once stood the Forte San Leonardo, the palace was the residence on the island of the Florio family, who went there especially in the vicinity of the periods of slaughter and where there hosted distinguished guests.

Its three floors – originally two – stand out on the buildings of the island, characterized by an eclectic style, which blends the Gothic and Art Nouveau styles, with low arches, pierced parapets, cuspidate turrets along the cornice and an original turret with the clock.   

Florio Palace today is the seat of the City Council, the Municipal Library and a tourist info point, and inside there is a small Antiquarium and a collection of shells, for lovers of malacology.