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This stately Italian villa lords it over Palermo, with its seat at the Southern foothills of Monte Pellegrino a small way from the centre city - deserving its name as the 'Crown of Palermo' for many different reasons. The true value of the modest maison and the grounds encircling it is unknown, although the beauty of the house and its attributes is recognised throughout the world. However, the interior of the house has never appeared on film or in magazines, as all previous owners of the house cherish their privacy. The exact plan of the house is not known, as the layout has been changed many times and no blueprints exist despite the fact that it was originally built in the 1800's. The entire facade of the building as well as its interior has been refurbished, brought back to the time in which it was renowned as one of the most beautiful houses in the region and it is now lit up after dusk, visible after dark from certain vantage points in the city, its best attributes highlighted and enhanced by a soft glow.
A lengthy driveway bordered by beautifully kept flora and fauna meanders its way to the front door of the house, gently curving back round the building itself to complete a full circle, only breaking off to meet with a large garage that is located to the rear. The driveway itself is composed of a dark asphalt with an ample width, enough to allow the passage of two cars. The gardens that hem the driveway contain plants from all over the world, a private display of the most beautiful things the world has to offer. Both flowers and shrubbery are trimmed neatly at least once a week, and the trees that vault over the asphalt surface are carefully held back from causing any blockages of the thoroughfare - both the well being of the plantlife and the occupants of the vehicles is considered and catered for.
The placing of this 'humble abode' is the absolute premium and nothing drags this house's value downwards; no noisy neighbours, barking dogs, screaming children or pesky lowlifes. The neighbourhood in which it resides is one that has become known as a 'business' neighbourhood, mainly because of the suited people that come and go in their overly expensive vehicles. It entertains businessmen and women as only a Sicilian neighbourhood ever could, but the calm that pervades the roads and houses is never pierced by gunshots as some of the neighbourhoods towards the centre of Palermo. It is, perhaps, one of the quietest and most efficiently controlled neighbourhoods in all of Sicily.
Recently refurbished in a modern style, the kitchen still enjoys the trappings of Italian style and cuisine. A careful and detailed approach was taken to the kitchen, as one of the past occupants of the house was a top chef whose life revolved around the kitchen, and did not include a wife, children or many friends. The array of electronics includes a commercial oven used in top restaurants across the world, a reliable microwave of the best make and an immense fridge/freezer that could possibly hold an entire human body. All appliances blend into the conceptual flow, maintaining a fresh and modern look whilst bringing in a certain unique and memorable touch of brilliance.
The kitchen itself is an easy flowing part of the open plan design, able to be navigated easily and quickly; all in all a well planned layout that pleases the eye and the user. The plan includes a breakfast bar in front of which there are several stools. Seated there, one can easily be served from the kitchen bench, and watch your food being prepared in front of your very eyes. The materials used in the construction of the kitchen are top notch, marble and the finest woods, chrome and titanium - no expense was spared.
Due to the differing occupations of previous owners of the house, desires and needs that evolve from the kitchen have been catered to. A cupboard is kept exclusively for bottles of alcohol, and overhead are racks upon racks of wine glasses, champagne flutes and martini glasses. On the shelf below the bottles of alcohol are several necessities for a home bar, such as liquor pourers, condiment dispensers and a couple of cocktail recipe books. Also seated on the rack are several silver ice buckets of varying sizes and a couple of cocktail shakers. In addition to this are several overhead liquor dispensers integrated into the metal part of the rack, ready for a bottle to be inserted and locked into place.
In every Italian house, the kitchen is the centre of activity, and if there is a grand kitchen, then it only suits that the house have a grand dining room with enough seats for the whole family. A secondary dining room is sometimes necessary, and this is located in the room next to this dining room. It is only necessary to open the French doors and the open plan expands to include a second table and more seating for guests. The house is perfectly capable of catering to a large scale dinner party, and the chef would have no trouble serving due to the floor plan. The plates and utensils are neatly placed inside the serving cabinet that sits in the corner of the room, conveniently close to the table for table setting purposes.
The guests are treated to the best seating, the demure colours complimenting the wallpaper and other fabrics used throughout the room with a finesse that denotes the fact that only the best interior designer was hired to complete this job. Nobody could get bored in a room like this, there is simply too much to look at and admire, from the new age paintings, to the small but regal fireplace, from the vibrant kitchen to the shining wine glasses that dangle above it from the hanging rack. It truly is a stylish plan that aims to incorporate every type of owner, be they focused on the kitchen and their cuisine, the dining room(s) and entertaining guests, or the living room and their own comfort.
A living room could not go without a fireplace, and this living room certainly does not go without. With a glass of wine in one hand, and a book in your lap, you can easily imagine yourself seated in front of this fire as the sun sinks from the sky, or as the heavens open to pour rain on the earth below. It helps that the living room�s contents continue on to compliment the dining room and kitchen, and that this design flows warmly into the rest of the house, welcoming occupants and guests alike with energy, warmth and comfort. The fabrics used in the living room differ to those used in the dining room, aesthetically separating them from the other room, but also helping to compliment it. A medium sized mirror hangs above the fireplace, helping to give the open planned compilation of rooms a certain depth that it would not have otherwise.
As far as entertainment goes, this part of the plan caters to the avid cinema viewer, and the bookworm all in one. To the right of the fireplace towers an immense mahogany bookcase that boasts novels, journals, magazines - anything that could ever catch your fancy - delicately placed in between rows of books are several items of an international variety such as masks from pacific island tribes, fragile rice paper portraits from Asian countries and several antiquities. The size of the bookcase lends its aid here, ensuring that despite the high amount of small adornments in addition to books, it does not look in any way cluttered.
For cinematic satisfaction, a wide screen built into the ceiling slowly rolls down at the press of a button, and the projector (also bolted to the ceiling) comes to life, able to cater to DVD, VCR and television requirements thanks to the electronic devices stored in a medium sized cupboard on the wall between the living room and the kitchen that blends into the wall and opens with a small amount of pressure to the locking device. Also contained inside are a wealth of DVDs ranging from Sci Fi to Documentaries. The picture on the wide screen is of exceptional quality.
Located on the upper floors of the household, the bedrooms each boast an ensuite and a superb view from their respective balconies. Privacy is afforded with thick velvet curtains that serve to hold in already accumulated heat, immense pieces of heavy fabric that have a thermal backing especially for this purpose. The wallpaper itself is tough and durable, able to be sponged clean should any accidents happen, and still be none the worse for it - the same applies to the high quality carpets that are present throughout almost every room in the house, excepting those that have polished wooden flooring, or tiles, such as the kitchen and the bathroom.
The linens used in the bedroom are all high quality brands purchased at a surprisingly low price through a 'friend' of the previous occupant. They are all made in Italy with no expense spared, their dyes designed not to fade or discolour due to the sun, which is extremely necessary due to the large windows that are set into all three bedroom's walls, allowing sunlight to invade every single corner of the room at certain times of the day, depending upon where the rooms are placed in the house. Every bedroom includes a large armchair, a walk in wardrobe, a desk, chair and laptop with wireless internet access, two deckchairs on the balcony outside the room, as well as two small tables - one inside, and one outside - a cordless telephone and an alarm clock on one of the two bedside tables.
All three bathrooms include large spa baths, a large shower, two sinks and one toilet. There are linen baskets and a linen cupboard in each, inside which is stored towels, facecloths, bathmats, bed linen and other miscellaneous items. The mirrors in each bathroom slide aside to reveal a first aid cabinet and a cabinet filled with hair accessories such as shampoos, conditioner, gel, spray and anything else that could be desired. Strangely enough, each bathroom cabinet contains a large supply of high quality makeup and other miscellaneous women's items, in addition to electric razors, shaving foam and other men's items. It is to be assumed that these were gained through side deals with certain 'friends' of the previous owner, who exploited people as best he could for his own personal gains. Whatever the origin of these items, it is clear that they cater to every need of either a man or woman, obviously making the adjoining rooms suitable for either a woman, a man, or both.
Each of Corono di Palermo’s four ensuites is designed to compliment the bedroom with which it is adjoined. Colouration and design therefore varies within each of these rooms, although content does not. Every shower has a low, medium and high setting for water pressure, along with two faucets for hot and cold water, allowing the user to adjust accordingly. The Bath, also, has hot and cold faucets, as well as a small silver switch to turn on the spa setting. Above both sinks there is either one large mirror or two small mirrors, each sliding aside as mentioned above, in the gap tween the sinks is a soap dispenser, either fixed to the wall or on the bench in the middle.
The grounds are immense, matching the house itself. It would seem that the space surrounding the house itself is covered entirely by grass, trees, flowers and shrubs, giving it a very natural look that compliments the house and it's design. The fact that the house is not in any way modern in looks does a great deal for the property, and ensures that the building does not jut out from its surroundings, but blends in instead, creating a beautiful demurely coloured abode with a gorgeous surrounding of greenery. Amidst the mass amounts of green that border the perimeter are several small security huts, stationed at strategic points that allow the occupants to survey the fence and report any acts of vandalism or attempted intrusion.
Due to the fact that the house and its surrounding grounds are set on a hilly expanse of territory, there are several stairways around the property, all leading to different settings, reclusive gardens and idyllic clearings shades by trees and dappled by sunlight. In these settings there are sometimes marble benches, or sets of wooden tables and chairs treated against the weather so that they can prevail rain or shine.
As mentioned above, all bedrooms give out onto a balcony or a terrace. The house itself, being set on a hill, has the advantage of being built slightly into one of the steeper faces of the hill, therefore letting the one bedroom lead out onto a small courtyard that is also easily accessed by a set of stairs leading up from the poolside below. The pool itself holds unchlorinated water, pure and crystal clear, a refreshing touch on a warm summer's day. Beside the pool are several deckchairs and a table for alfresco poolside dining, allowing those there to enjoy the amazing views of Palermo and the surrounding countryside. 3 Stairways lead upwards from the pool to several of the rooms, and to the main entrance of the house itself, with another stairway leading down from the pool area and ending at two doors that are hidden from sight - completely out of character with the rest of the house. These doors lead to an armoury and a meeting room at a level below the pool. Both are hidden from view by mass amounts of shrubbery and trellis work - you would not know they were there unless you were specifically told where they were, and how to get to them.
On a lighter note, the house also has a wine cellar and two offices which reside in the basement. These are for business purposes only, and are not used when entertaining guests. They are kept under lock and key - keys are laser cut by an unnamed party and given directly to the owners. No house staff enter the offices at any time. Each office has a small paper shredder and incinerator for that business you just don't want known. Books containing up to date Laws from almost every country in the world line the shelves of both offices, located behind the identical large leather chair and desk that take crowning glory in both rooms.
Apart from the house, there are several security posts (mentioned in the above description of the house) around the 7 foot high brick perimeter fence topped with barbed wire and shards of glass. These are only accessible by a code, which is changed every hour. The only way to obtain this code is to be a security guard. Every security guard signs in with an ink impression of their thumbprint at the beginning of a shift and is given a code to enter their assigned post � one guard remains in the hut at all times, even when under fire, the other patrols. Every guard requires background checks, and must be thoroughly cleared and searched before entering the property through the main gates - the only vehicular entrance to Corona di Palermo's grounds. All guards are armed only after passing through security, and their equipment is checked nightly for faults or sabotage. Guards are only hired after the aforementioned security check, and if they possess the necessary abilities and mentality for the job at hand.
The entire property is monitored by security cameras, which are watched through CCTV (closed circuit television) by one of the three heads of security at an undisclosed location on the property. Not even the guards know of this location - only the heads of Security, who have gone through a rigorous security check, which is even more in depth than that of the security guards on the perimeter. The main security control room is entered through a fingerprint and retina recognition technology, as is the meeting room and armoury. All windows on the property are tinted against snipers, and every vantage point that could possibly be used is noted in the guard's handbook, which they must memorise before they are able to commence their jobs.
NPC(s):
10* Gunmen
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Arm(s):
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Vehicle(s)
2006 Jaguar XK Coupe [Atanasia]
2006 Mercedes E500 [Cristoforo]
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Last edited by Atanasia cel Rau on Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
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