Casa Cuseni
House museum of the English art patron Robert Kitson in Taormina, with works by Frank Brangwyn, a historic library and a garden; guided tours by reservation.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Casa Cuseni was designed between 1898 and 1900 and built by 1905 by the English painter Robert Hawthorn Kitson in Taormina. For decades the villa was an international centre of the applied arts, frequented by artists and writers. Alongside Kitson worked, among others, Frank Brangwyn, Alfred East and Cecil Hunt, whose works entered the collections.
In 1948 the heiress Daphne Phelps turned the house into a residence for artists and into a house museum, the first in Sicily, modelled on historic English country houses. In 1998 the whole complex was declared a national monument. Since 2015 it has been the official museum of the city of Taormina; since 2016 it has been part of the circuit of the Case della memoria (Houses of Memory); in 2017 the Foundation dedicated to Robert Hawthorn Kitson was established; and since 2024 it has belonged to the Sistema museale nazionale (National Museum System).
The museum comprises the rooms of the villa with furnishings and works of art, a historic library with archive and photographic collection, and a historic garden inspired by theosophy, created at the beginning of the 20th century. The collections include paintings, watercolours, sculptures and design objects linked to Kitson and his circle.
Highlights
- Works by Frank Brangwyn, Alfred East and Cecil Hunt
- Collection of watercolours by Robert Hawthorn Kitson
- Historic garden inspired by theosophy
- Historic library, archive and photographic collection
- First house museum in Sicily, since 1948
Permanent exhibition
- Collezioni di Casa Cuseni – Paintings, watercolours, sculptures, furnishings and documents from the collection of Robert Hawthorn Kitson, with a visit to the historic garden.
- Founded
- 1948
- Operated by
- Fondazione Robert Hawthorn Kitson
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The villa also offers guest accommodation and, on request, experiences such as a Sicilian cookery lesson with a guided tour. Dining room and terraces with a view over the Gulf of Naxos and Mount Etna.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Visits by compulsory reservation only, in sessions every day at 11:30. Duration 60 to 90 minutes. |
