- Galleria Regionale della Sicilia (Palermo; tel. 091-6230011): This is the most magnificent collection of regional art in all of Sicily -- in fact, the gallery is one of the finest in Italy. Housed in the Catalan-Gothic Palazzo Abatellis, its superb collections trace Sicilian painting and sculpture from the 13th to the 18th century. Some of its paintings, such as Triumph of Death from 1449, are among the most impressive masterpieces in the south of Italy.
- Museo Archeologico Regionale (Palermo; tel. 091-6116805): One of the greatest archaeological museums in Italy is filled with a virtual "British Museum" collection of rare finds that is particularly rich in artifacts from the Greek and Roman colonization of the island. The metopes dug up from the city of Selinunte alone are worth a visit.
- Museo Mandralisca (Cefalu; tel. 0921-421547): Come here for no other reason than to gaze in wonder at Antonello da Messina's Portrait of an Unknown Man, painted in 1465. It is the masterpiece of this great Sicilian artist. While here, check out the other art treasures of this regional museum, including everything from a Chinese puzzle in ivory to a vase from the 4th century B.C.
- Museo Regionale (Messina; tel. 090-361292): A former silk mill has been successfully converted into one of the island's most impressive regional museums, one that contains Sicily's greatest collection of art from the 15th to the 17th century.
- Museo Civico (Termini Imerese; tel. 091-8128279): Housed in a 14th-century palazzo (palace) is one of the finest regional museums in Sicily, devoted to art and archaeology. The Hellenistic and Roman pottery are among its greatest treasures; the museum is also rich in medieval and Renaissance art.
- Museo Archeologico Eoliano (Lipari; tel. 090-9880174): One of the great archaeological museums of Italy lies hidden away on the volcanic Aeolian island of Lipari. Among its many celebrated exhibits are a stunning collection of ancient vases, many from the 4th century B.C., and a magnificent trove of theatrical masks unearthed from tombs of the same era.
- Museo Civico Belliniano (Catania; tel. 095-7150535): This museum pays homage to the composer Vincenzo Bellini, who was born here in 1801. The rather drab five-room apartment evokes old Catania and is filled with Bellini memorabilia, including original folios of his operas, his death mask, and even the coffin in which his body was transferred from Paris.
- Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi (Syracuse; tel. 0931-464022): This is a showcase for some of the most important archaeological finds of southern Italy. Especially intriguing are the showrooms devoted to the Greek colonization of Sicily, including the celebrated Landolina Venus.
- Museo Regionale di Arte Mediovale e Moderna (Syracuse; tel. 0931-69511): One of Sicily's greatest art collections is housed in the 13th-century Palazzo Bellomo. The collections are finest in the painting and decorative arts of southeastern Sicily and include such masterpieces as The Burial of St. Lucia, by Caravaggio.
Sicily Travel Experiences
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Agrigento, Sicily
Traveling south down the Sicily coast by train, a short 2 hour ride takes us to the town of Agrigento. One visits Agrigento for its ancie... Continue reading »
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South Coast to Valle dei Templi
Tuesday, 9th December Set off westwards to explore the southern part of Sicily visiting lovely little tuna fishing villages of Marzemeni... Continue reading »
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Agrigento
No, we did not hop on a plane and go to Greece, we are in Agrigento, Sicily which has some of the best preserved greek ruins outside of G... Continue reading »
