The Berlingieri marquises are the new owners of the Boldini’s painting depicting Donna Franca Florio, which will be put on display in Palazzo Mazzarino, one of their properties. The painting was the most valuable item amongst the furniture, sculpture and ceramics that went to auction last march from the Grand Hotel Villa Igiea, where it had been on display since 2005. Donna Franca, best known as the “Queen of Palermo”, was also nicknamed the “Star of Italy” by Kaiser Wilhelm II and described as “unique” by Gabriele D’Annunzio. She was beautiful, elegant, and fluent in four languages, she was the ambassador of a city that dreamt of being the economic and elite capital of Italy.
