The Bourbons in Sicily: Reflections on the Tutelage of Monuments and Hunting Reserves

Abstract

In the Kingdom of Sicily in the seventies of the Eighteenth century king Ferdinand of Bourbon, thanks to the decisive intervention of the local rul-ing élite, proceeded to bring into the list of the interests of the state ar-chaeological findings. The king prohibited the unauthorized export of the finds and proceeded, on the basis of the Neapolitan example, in the organi-zation of the Regia Custodia, a monumental and archaeological custody plan. In December 1798 Ferdinando and Maria Carolina then moved the court to Palermo, starting the construction of hunting reserves in the Nea-politan model, such as the Ficuzza estate, and promoted new areas for pro-duction purposes. Within this building plan, the Casina Cinese of the park of the Favorita of Palermo stands out, designed for the delight of the sover-eign, but which briefly witnessed the political upheavals between the 18th and 19th centuries and developments that would prove to be dramatic for the monarchy.