Famed, faded Sicilian villa reborn as posh resort

The Grand Hotel Villa Igiea, once a vacation destination for royal personages and opera stars visiting Palermo, Sicily, has reopened in style after recent restoration of its erstwhile grandeur. Built more than a century ago as a private villa, the property was bought at auction in 2019 for $29 million by Rocco Forte, a British hotelier of Italian lineage.