THE ROOM: with its nineteenth-century atmosphere, this elegant smoking room was a space reserved for gentlemen. Created in post-Napoleonic high society, it allowed men to withdraw after dinner to a room where they could freely discuss business affairs and romantic conquests, while lighting their pipes or cigars. These were kept on display and, according to etiquette, were often offered by the man of the house. The room is furnished as a small sitting room, with matching elaborate drapes, and completed by a floral display cabinet containing a collection of porcelain figures depicting exotic and more familiar animals. In the corner is the family coat of arms, also reproduced on the ceiling, while the walls are adorned with elegant portraits of the heads of the household.

TRADITIONS, MARRIAGE MEDIATION: marriage mediation, known in Sicily as sensalìa matrimoniale – or also as senzala or senzala matrimoniale – was a widespread institution. It was a system designed to facilitate marriages between young people through the mediation of a sensale, or matchmaker. The purpose of sensalìa matrimoniale was to consolidate alliances between families, strengthen social ties and guarantee the continuity of wealth and heritage. In the nineteenth century, Sicily was very much still rooted in rural and patriarchal traditions. Marriage was widely understood as a ‘union between families’, not merely between individuals. The sensale therefore acted as a bridge between economic, social and religious needs, helping to maintain social order and wealth in the period.

AND CUSTOMS: Maria Teresa Arezzo di Donnafugata wears a dress with bustle, a silhouette that was very popular around 1880. This style shifted the volume of the skirt towards the back, where it was supported by a rigid structure underneath. The train at the rear is removable, allowing for greater ease of movement. The dress is a plum or wine colour, a shade made fashionable in the period by the invention of aniline dyes. It is made of taffeta, enhanced with a cream lace trim on the bodice and skirt. The ensemble includes a matching hat, decorated with pink fabric flowers and feathers, reflecting the elaborate millinery of the Victorian period.