The building was designed in 1799 by the architect Giuseppe Venanzio Marvuglia on commission by the King Ferdinand III of Sicily.^[1] The ruler had previously bought land and a house that was Chinese in design, belonging to the Baron Benedetto Lombardo and designed by Marvuglia himself.^[1] The architectural complex and its garden were completed between 1800 and 1806.

In 1860, as a result of the Unification of Italy, the residence passed to the House of Savoy. Then, it became the property of the Comune of Palermo and has been converted into a museum.

The apartments of the Palace are distributed on three floors. On the first floor, there is the entry hall, a small office, a dining room (with a "magical" table) and the King's bedroom. The second floor was dedicated to the servants and has a much lower ceiling and no frescos: male workers on one side and female workers on the other. The third floor contains the apartments of the Queen Maria Carolina of Austria.^[1] including a reception room and her private chambers. The Queen's floor is entirely surrounded by an open-air terrace giving a view of the gardens, accessible either from the interior or from two external circular staircases. The 4th and uppermost floor is an octagonal terrace covered like a pagoda.

The grand reception hall (or ballroom), bathing room, and magical table room are found semi-underground, beneath the king's living quarters.

The building is decorated with paintings and frescoes of Giuseppe Velazquez, Vincenzo Riolo, and other artists.

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  Frescoes with Chinoiserie, Giuseppe Velazquez
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  Fresco, Giuseppe Velazquez
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  The garden
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  Pitrè Museum

• Parco della Favorita
• Riserva naturale orientata Monte Pellegrino
• Museo Etnografico Siciliano Giuseppe Pitrè

• (in Italian) Image gallery
• (in Italian) History of the palace - Provincia Regionale di Palermo

38°10′00″N 13°19′49″E / 38.1666°N 13.3304°E / 38.1666; 13.3304