Palazzo Conte Federico

A sumptuous bedroom in a palatial residence of a Hohenstaufen-descended count and his engaging Austrian wife, plus 5 simpler apartments

Climb the grand staircase from the leafy courtyard, open the tall door - and wow! A series of vast double-height salons drip with chandeliers and gold-framed portraits, patterned pavimento floors swarm with intricate oriental rugs, and illuminated vaulted ceilings glow with religious frescoes and heraldic bas-reliefs. Huge, ornately scrolled armchairs, antique dressers, even a 200-year-old grand piano, all are dwarfed by the expanses of silk-covered wall. There are glassed cabinets displaying ceramics, costumes and other curios, while in the knights' room two suits of armour stand guard over a prized weapons collection. You half expect to turn a corner and find Emperor Frederick Hohenstaufen on his throne, brandishing a sceptre in one hand and a falcon on the other (the 13th-century tower dates from his reign).

If it sounds more like a museum than a residence, the welcome of Contessa Alwine and Conte Federico will be a surprise. She's a tall and dynamic Austrian, multi-lingual and a talented singer (hence the concert hall and historic piano – once used by Wagner – where she gives informal recitals). He is an aficionado of vintage cars, and keeps an open-topped 1930's Fiat in the ground-floor workshop. Emperor Frederick, a brilliant linguist and a patron of hunting, astrology and poetry, would be proud.

Highs

• The stately reception rooms which are used for breakfast and perhaps an afternoon tea or pre-prandial drink
• The wonderful service from Contessa Alwine, who can explain the rich history of the building and the city with equal vigour
• The palazzo bedroom, with its gold-draped four-poster: a fitting place for a honeymoon or anniversary
• A slice of historic splendour, bringing Palermo's Norman and Baroque heydays back to life

Lows

• The palazzo bedroom isn't cheap, but it's unique and that's hard to put a price on
• Only a hand-held shower in the palazzo bedroom
• If you book one of the cheaper apartments, you'll miss out on the splendour of the main palazzo (but you still get the location and a sense of history)