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THE CIRCOLO UNIONE OF PALERMO

The “Circolo Unione” of Palermo is a gentlemen's club. It brings together representatives of the Palermo aristocracy and personalities from the world of culture, institutions and professions. History and seats The Club was founded in 1750 and its name was “Nobile Conversazione” (The Conversation for the Nobility), also known as the "Bigliardi", and had its first seat on the ground floor of the Monastery of Santa Caterina al Cassero, situated in Corso Vittorio Emanuele (Palermo) In 1825 the headquarters of the Club was transferred to Palazzo Algarìa situated on Piazza Bologni, a property of Prince Giuseppe of Villafranca. A few years later the property was enlarged with the annex of other rooms on the ground floor of the building on Via Toledo. As a consequence of the Unit of Italy in 1860, The club changed its name from “Nobile Conversazione” to “Circolo Unione “ In 1893 Ignazio Florio D'Ondes became a member of the Club, whose wife Donna Franca was included amounst the confidantes of the Queen of Italy at that time. At the turn of the century, the Club moved its headquarters in 1904 to Via Principe of Belmonte, whose front door featured the oval garter that was adopted at that time and remains even today, as the unifying symbol of the Club In 1908 the brother of Ignazio Florio D'Ondes, Sir Vincenzo, founder of the legendary "Targa Florio", the oldest automobile race in the world, was president of the Circolo. His first Council also included the Marquis of Montallegro Pietro Notarbartolo Pignatelli, the Prince of Raffadali Don Giovanni Tortorici, the Count of Sampieri Don Guglielmo Moncada Prince of Monforte and Soria and the Knight Paolo Tasca Bordonaro. After the end of the Second World War, a group of members, tied to the traditions of the Club took care of its reopening with a first Governing Council composed by the Prince of Comitini, Count Giovanni Lo Bue di Lemos, Baron Filippo Merlo di Tagliavia, the lawyer Giovanni Peria Boscogrande and by Sir Gaetano Zalapì. In November 1944, the Assembly of members approved the admission to the Club of the category of female members, reserved for the unmarried women and widows of members. In 1963 the headquarter of Circolo Unione was transferred to the prestigious Villa Trabia belonging to the Terre Rosse family, where it remained until 1994, before moving again to Palazzo Lo Bue. From 2017 the Club, under the presidency of Baron Benedetto Caffarelli of Guzman, established its headquarter in Palazzo Florio, the prestigious residence of the prominent Florio family.