Its history, as a royal estate, begins in 1799, following complex historical events that began with the French Revolution. The delegates of the Third Estate met in assembly on 17 June 1789 and proclaimed themselves the sole representatives of the French nation. These events influenced the secular balance and involved Ferdinand III, king of Naples, or Ferdinand IV, king of Sicily, or Ferdinand I of Bourbon, king of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The name was desired by Ferdinand I of Bourbon and sanctioned by the Congress of Vienna in 1816.
These events forced the Bourbon king to move to Palermo. On that occasion, Palermo became the capital of the new Kingdom for just a year. In that year at the end of the century, once he arrived in the city, the king purchased and took possession of the lands of interest with expropriations and compensation paid to the Marquises Ajroldi, the Barons Lombardo Della Sala and the Marquises Vannucci. In April of that year, the first stages of the transformation began, with the delimitation of the borders. On January 7, 1799, a proclamation had already been issued prohibiting hunting in those lands. Immediately afterwards, works to organize the Park began, with the creation of hunting trails and the planting of various species in vast areas intended for agricultural experimentation. As already mentioned, various "funds" owned by the ancient and rich Palermo aristocracy were expropriated, which included small villages and hunting lodges. In addition to the aforementioned Ajroldi, Della Scala and Vannucci, the Malvagno, Niscemi, Rocca Pietratagliata and Salerno funds should be mentioned. These large lands were united into a single "reserve" in order to provide the king with a place for hunting and to carry out his much-loved agricultural experiments
Its history, as a royal estate, begins in 1799, following complex historical events that began with the French Revolution. The delegates of the Third Estate met in assembly on 17 June 1789 and proclaimed themselves the sole representatives of the French nation. These events influenced the secular balance and involved Ferdinand III, king of Naples, or Ferdinand IV, king of Sicily, or Ferdinand I of Bourbon, king of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The name was desired by Ferdinand I of Bourbon and sanctioned by the Congress of Vienna in 1816.
These events forced the Bourbon king to move to Palermo. On that occasion, Palermo became the capital of the new Kingdom for just a year. In that year at the end of the century, once he arrived in the city, the king purchased and took possession of the lands of interest with expropriations and compensation paid to the Marquises Ajroldi, the Barons Lombardo Della Sala and the Marquises Vannucci. In April of that year, the first stages of the transformation began, with the delimitation of the borders. On January 7, 1799, a proclamation had already been issued prohibiting hunting in those lands. Immediately afterwards, works to organize the Park began, with the creation of hunting trails and the planting of various species in vast areas intended for agricultural experimentation. As already mentioned, various "funds" owned by the ancient and rich Palermo aristocracy were expropriated, which included small villages and hunting lodges. In addition to the aforementioned Ajroldi, Della Scala and Vannucci, the Malvagno, Niscemi, Rocca Pietratagliata and Salerno funds should be mentioned. These large lands were united into a single "reserve" in order to provide the king with a place for hunting and to carry out his much-loved agricultural experiments.
In 1860, following the Anglo-Savoy aggression and the consequent defeat of the Bourbon dynasty, the estate passed into the hands of the Savoy family. They opened the park to the public and used some areas for the organization of sporting and social events. In that year, the Royal estate of the Favorita became part of the heritage of the House of Savoy as an asset of the Crown, and the park was opened to the public. In 1877, the Royal Household ceded the park to the State Property and in 1920 renounced the use of the park. It was divided into four areas entrusted to the competence of as many administrations: the garden with the house was assigned to the Ministry of Education, while the park was assigned to the Municipality of Palermo. Despite various redevelopment attempts, the green complex suffered a slow decline and abandonment over the years.
Urban planning events of the Favorita Park As already mentioned previously, the Favorita monumental park came from the royal property of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and passed to the Royal House of Savoy after the defeat of the Bourbons.
The "Real Favorita" park is registered in sheet 280 of state property and "should" be managed by the Municipality of Palermo. In paragraph 3.1, it is highlighted that since the drafting of the 1962 PRG it had already been understood that the way in which the problem of greenery provision in the city was addressed was quite questionable.
The General Master Plan (PRG) of 1962 envisaged a vast area of public greenery which included the royal estate of Favorita and a good part of the Monte Pellegrino mountain system. However, although the two large planned public green systems had been created, there was no provision for widespread public greenery within the residential neighbourhoods.
Parco della Favorita addressed the problem of "tenants" established to assign land for agricultural use. This situation has been the subject of long legal proceedings since the 1960s, due to the resistance shown by the occupiers towards the eviction orders ordered by the Municipality and the numerous attempts to obtain legitimation of possession of the land. Regional law n. 14/88 established the environmental complex consisting of the Favorita Park and Monte Pellegrino, declared an Oriented Nature Reserve by the Sicilian Region.
The Favorita Park constitutes zone B of the reserve, called pre-reserve, with the exception of the area occupied by the Bosco Niscemi, which falls into zone A. Regional law n. 14/88 prescribed that a "Utilization Plan" had to be drawn up for these areas, a truly detailed plan. The Municipality initiated this planning, instructing the Territorial Department for Urban Planning Group IV to draw up a "Utilization Plan for zone B of the Monte Pellegrino Oriented Nature Reserve" which was "delivered" in 2001, concluding its administrative process only in 2014.
In 1860, following the Anglo-Savoy aggression and the consequent defeat of the Bourbon dynasty, the estate passed into the hands of the Savoy family. They opened the park to the public and used some areas for the organization of sporting and social events. In that year, the Royal estate of the Favorita became part of the heritage of the House of Savoy as an asset of the Crown, and the park was opened to the public. In 1877, the Royal Household ceded the park to the State Property and in 1920 renounced the use of the park. It was divided into four areas entrusted to the competence of as many administrations: the garden with the house was assigned to the Ministry of Education, while the park was assigned to the Municipality of Palermo. Despite various redevelopment attempts, the green complex suffered a slow decline and abandonment over the years.
Urban planning events of the Favorita Park As already mentioned previously, the Favorita monumental park came from the royal property of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and passed to the Royal House of Savoy after the defeat of the Bourbons.
The "Real Favorita" park is registered in sheet 280 of state property and "should" be managed by the Municipality of Palermo. In paragraph 3.1, it is highlighted that since the drafting of the 1962 PRG it had already been understood that the way in which the problem of greenery provision in the city was addressed was quite questionable.
The General Master Plan (PRG) of 1962 envisaged a vast area of public greenery which included the royal estate of Favorita and a good part of the Monte Pellegrino mountain system. However, although the two large planned public green systems had been created, there was no provision for widespread public greenery within the residential neighbourhoods.
Parco della Favorita addressed the problem of "tenants" established to assign land for agricultural use. This situation has been the subject of long legal proceedings since the 1960s, due to the resistance shown by the occupiers towards the eviction orders ordered by the Municipality and the numerous attempts to obtain legitimation of possession of the land. Regional law n. 14/88 established the environmental complex consisting of the Favorita Park and Monte Pellegrino, declared an Oriented Nature Reserve by the Sicilian Region.
The Favorita Park constitutes zone B of the reserve, called pre-reserve, with the exception of the area occupied by the Bosco Niscemi, which falls into zone A. Regional law no. 14/88 prescribed that a "Utilization Plan" had to be drawn up for these areas, a truly detailed plan. The Municipality initiated this planning, instructing the Territorial Department for Urban Planning Group IV to draw up a "Utilization Plan for zone B of the Monte Pellegrino Oriented Nature Reserve" which was "delivered" in 2001, concluding its administrative process only in 2014.
