Peek inside architect Andrea Perra's exquisite plazzo of Barroque Beauty

When Andrea Perra first set eyes on his magnificent palazzo near Mount Etna, it was – like the volcano itself– ''sleeping, waiting to be awakened''.

That was two decades ago, and thanks to his passion for interiors, the baroque beauty in Catania has burst back to life.

Restoring it was no small project, as the architect admits. ''Maybe it’s because I was born near Etna that I'm enthusiastic and overflowing with energy,'' he laughs as, accompanied by his fiancée Carla Travierso and niece Beatrice Floridia, he guides us through exquisite salons filled with frescoes, where the light of candelabra sets gilding shimmer.

Although Andrea lives between Sicily and Paris, his heart never leaves this Mediterranean island where he can trace his family back to 1400. It was his parents, both art collectors, who kindled his aesthetic sense, while his maternal grandparents sparked a love of la dolce vita. ''Life should be lived as a party,'' he tells us, knowing that in his palazzo he’s found the perfect place to do this.

You may also like

• Peek inside Marie and Philippe Daâge's Loire Valley chateau full of ancestry and art

• Insider secrets from Apple Martin’s Debutante Ball: ‘What happens in Paris stays in Paris’

• Interior designer Nina Litchfield's dream family home she created in Notting Hill

Andrea, how did you find this house?

''A friend told me he knew of an 18th-century mansion for sale that seemed frozen in time. I was intrigued and went to see it. What I found was a house that was sleeping, waiting for someone's love to awaken it. In Sicily we say that places like this only survive if the owner marries them. And that’s exactly what I did.''

Tell us about the renovation...

''I approached it with great respect, because I felt that what I owed to something so wonderful was to restore its own lost light. Fortunately all the original 18th-century features were still here, including the ornate ceilings, door lintel sand majolica-tiled floors.''

You’ve added some newer elements to the decor, haven’t you...

''Some of my family’s heirloom furniture has fitted in really well – for example, my grandmother’s treasured antique mirrors. They’ve found a new life reflecting new festivities in our ballroom. Seeing how natural they look there reinforces the connection I feel with her.

''Then there are more modern pieces that I’ve collected myself over the years, which add comfort and a touch of freshness. All in all it’s quite a mix. I’d call it contemporary classicism.''

You have another Sicilian home in the Unesco world heritage city of Noto and have been involved in restoration projects including a 16th-century palazzo belonging to the Grimaldi family. It seems you’re devoted top reserving the island’s beauty...

''My ‘Sicilianness’ is overwhelming in both my work and my personal life. Maybe it’s because I was born near a volcano, Mount Etna, that I’m enthusiastic and overflowing with energy...

''That said, my maternal grandfather Sigmund was actually Argentinian. An entrepreneur who had made a great fortune from wine production there, he met my grandmother Concetta on a visit to Sicily in the 1930s. They fell in love straight away and within months they were married. He used to say to her: 'My life began the moment I saw you for the first time,' and certainly together they embraced the Italian ideal of la dolce vita.

''Beatrice reminds me a lot of my grand-mother: her character, her expression and her ideals.''

At Studio Andrea Perra you create not only interiors but also luxury events. Did your grandparents help inspire you?

''They did. I vividly recall both their palazzo in the city of Nicosia and their country house, with the stables, the scent of jasmine and roses in the Arabian-style garden, the kitchen bustling from dawn to dusk, and the huge dining room whose candelabra, with all its candles lit, looked to me like a giant Christmas tree.

''My grandmother took such care of all the details when they entertained. She would take a wooden ruler and check that the place settings were exactly 32 inches apart.

''Now, in my own home I’m especially proud of the candlelit ballroom, with its vaulted ceiling. When we throw the kind of parties the nobility did in the old days, it's as if we’re recreating beautiful scenes from the film The Leopard.''

What do you like most about what you do?

''What makes my work so special is that my clients end up becoming part of a huge circle off friends. Also I travel continuously in search of inspiration, which I find really enriching. My grandmother always said that life is a journey, and that if you don’t travel, you don’t live.''

So you believe in mingling tradition with new experiences?

''Yes. I remember one trip I took with her, and when we arrived at the hotel I noticed that the beds were made up with her own sheets, embroidered with her initials. I thought that was strange and asked her why she had brought her own bed linen. She replied that when I was older I would understand. And I do. It is by keeping hold of your memories and customs that you are able to move forward.''

What hopes do you have for the future?

''To carry on living what feels like a dream, and to share that dream with my loved ones. I want to share it with Carla. We met during a trip made to the Greek island of Patmos, and she’s an incredible, wonderful woman.''

PRODUCTION AND TEXT: ANA FERNANDEZ DE CORDOBA & CRISTINA LORA ALARCON

PHOTOS: FERNANDA NAVARRO & PALOMA ROJAS-MARCOS (COUCHE STUDIO)