Meet our driver escort to start this special excursion visiting some of the great palaces in Palermo. This experience is not simply a cooking lesson in an extraordinary location, an 18th century palazzo by the sea. It’s also a fascinating journey through Sicilian culture and food. The Duchess will take you early in the morning to a colorful local market to buy the freshest ingredients of the season, and share some hidden treasures of Palermo, one of the most intriguing cities of the Mediterranean. In the spacious and welcoming kitchen of the palazzo, you’ll be able to create a whole Sicilian menu under the Duchess’ guidance. After lunch in the elegant dining room, a tour of the lush terrace and the beautifully restored palazzo, the last home of Prince Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, author of the world-famous novel The Leopard. The day is not finished yet because it continues with the visit of Palazzo Mirto, one of the few in Palermo open to the public. The walls of its 21 rooms are covered in acres of silk and velvet wallpaper, with vast embroidered wall hangings, frescoed ceilings, gaudy chandeliers and floors paved in coloured marbles, maiolica tiles and mosaics. Then to Palazzo Abetellis, recognized as one of the most impressive galleries in Europe, this year it celebrates its 61stanniversary as the National Gallery of Sicily. Visit and end of our excursion.