THE ROOM: the kitchen, lined with decorative majolica tiles, has been preserved in its original state. On the left is a tannura, a built-in unit used to produce and maintain hot water for a whole range of purposes: cooking, filling baths, and removing stubborn stains from fabric or floors. Opposite the door is the washing area, while on the right-hand wall are the wood-fired oven and cooking fireplace. The room is completed by various cupboards and shelves filled with utensils and linens. At the centre are two tables with different functions: a buffetta, where the household helpers ate their meals, and a large marble-topped table used for food preparation.

TRADITIONS: THE MONSÙ: a symbol of wealth and elegance, Sicilian aristocracy also enjoyed food inspired by French cuisine, reinterpreted by their own cook: the Monsù. The name comes from the French Monsieur. Sometimes these cooks were known by their first name together with the surname of the family for whom they worked; at other times, they were referred to by nicknames. Some became so famous that they were treated almost like artists. Between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, these chefs from France integrated their sophisticated French techniques – reductions, stocks, shortcrust pastry and béchamel – with the generous, opulent ingredients of Sicily. The result was a monumental, Baroque cuisine rich in contrasts, where sweet and savoury regularly came together. Dishes attributed to the monsù include cheese potato gâteau, stuffed sardines, Timballo del Gattopardo (macaroni pie), braised meat with a rich onion glaze, and Maria Carolina’s caponata.