Museums in Sicily: Archaeology, Art and Open-Air Museums

Many of Sicily’s museums focus on archaeology. The main archaeological museums are the Museo Salinas in Palermo, the Museo Paolo Orsi in Syracuse and the Museo Pietro Griffo in Agrigento. For art, there are the Galleria Regionale in Palazzo Abatellis in Palermo, the regional museum in Messina and the Museo Mandralisca in Cefalù. Open-air museums and excavation sites with their own museum add to the list.

Which museums are worth knowing in Sicily?

What can you see in the archaeological museum of Palermo?

The Museo Salinas stands on Via Bara all'Olivella in Palermo and belongs to the Regione Siciliana. It shows finds from prehistory to the Middle Ages. Among its best-known pieces are the metopes of Temples C and E from Selinunte and the reconstructed east pediment with the Gorgon of Temple C.

Which art museums are worth a visit?

Palazzo Abatellis in Palermo shows the Annunciation by Antonello da Messina. The regional museum in Messina holds two Caravaggio paintings, the Raising of Lazarus and the Adoration of the Shepherds. The Museo Mandralisca in Cefalù displays another work by Antonello da Messina, the portrait of an unknown man.

What do the museums of Syracuse and Agrigento show?

The Museo Paolo Orsi in Syracuse is housed in the Villa Landolina and opened in 1988. It shows evidence of Sicilian prehistory as well as Greek and Roman art, including the Venus Landolina, found in Syracuse in 1804. The Museo Pietro Griffo in Agrigento shows finds from the ancient city of Akragas. Its Telamon from the Temple of Olympian Zeus is one of the best-known figures in the collection.

Which open-air museums and sites are there?

In Sicily, history and landscape often share one place. Listed as museums are, among others, the open-air museum Grotta Mangiapane near Custonaci, the artists' village Borgo Parrini near Partinico, the Parco Museo Jalari in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto and the Theatre of Tindari, where a museum on the excavation site shows the finds. Other archaeological sites are Segesta, Selinunte and the Valley of the Temples; the Saline di Trapani are a nature reserve.

How do you plan a museum visit?

Opening hours, ticket prices and closing days change, so they do not belong in this text. They are published on the official websites of the museums and archaeological parks. Museums suit the hot midday hours in summer and rainy days; the island's UNESCO sites combine well with a museum visit.