If you’ve been feeling bereft without your nightly dose of The White Lotus since the Golden Globe-winning second season ended, the news that Villa Tasca – one of the key filming locations – is now available to rent, will be music to your ears. As well as a stay at the glamorous San Domenico Palace in Sicily, where the majority of the series was filmed, this sumptuous palazzo in Palermo is at the top of our dream summer holiday list.
Villa Tasca has a starring role in the show as the palazzo that Daphne (Meghann Fahy) and Harper (Aubrey Plaza) spend the night after their day trip to the historic city of Noto. Booked surreptitiously by Daphne in a bid to keep her husband on his toes – much to an unsuspecting Harper’s dismay – the two women end up bonding amidst its lavish frescoes and majolica tiled-swimming pool, as Daphne reveals more details about her toxic marriage and the two find common ground in their shared humanity (little do they know that their husbands are getting up to their own shenanigans back at the hotel).Â
Villa Tasca is actually situated in the buzzy Sicilian capital of Palermo, over four hours’ drive from Noto. A neoclassical marvel in its own right, it’s a 16th-century jewel that has welcomed the likes of Jacqueline Kennedy, Bismarck and Margaret of Savoy over the years, as well as influenced the compositions of musicians such as Verdi and Wagner. Filled with mosaics, gilded ceilings and Murano chandeliers, the villa sleeps eight in four magnificent suites, the most glamorous of which is the Contessa Suite, where the walls are entirely covered in frescoes.
Set amidst 20 acres of lush gardens, the exteriors are just as impressive as the interiors. While Villa Tasca dates back to the 1500s, the gardens were inspired by 19th-century Romanticism and feature centuries-old trees and citrus groves, as well as beautifully landscaped spaces filled with botanical species from all over the world. It is also in these verdant surrounds that you’ll find the villa’s large green-tiled swimming pool, where Daphne and Harper take a dip and first begin to open up to each other.
Available as part of Airbnb’s luxe category, there’s everything on hand here to keep wealthy White Lotus-worthy guests occupied, from a billiard room and music room (complete with its own grand piano) to an impressive terrace where you can watch the sun set over an al fresco Aperitivo or two. There’s also a formal dining room, where you can host the sort of fabulous dinner parties that Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) and Quentin (Tom Hollander) would most definitely approve of, waited on by a full fleet of staff.Â
Photography: Stefano Corso
If you do decide to venture out of the villa’s grounds, there’s plenty to explore in the local area. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cappella Palatina, the royal chapel of the city’s Norman Palace, is a short drive away, as are the fascinating Cappuccini Catacombs and the cathedrals of Cefalù and Monreale. But frankly, if you find yourself staying at the Villa Tasca, we’d recommend you stay put and make the most of this White Lotus fantasy brought to life.
Villa Tasca is available to rent with rates starting from $4,900 per night for a minimum stay of three nights;Â Airbnb
