 Construction of a villa at the site was begun by Cristoforo Saliceti and his heirs; Cristoforo had been minister of police for the government of Murat.In 1817, they were forced to sell to Ferdinand I, the Bourbon King of the Two Sicilies, who used it to house Lucia Migliaccio di Partanna, duchess of Floridia, whom Ferdinand had married morganatically in 1814.She resided here till her death in 1826.