Diocesan Museum of Palermo

The Diocesan Museum of Palermo was opened in 1927 inside the Archbishop’s Palace by Cardinal Archbishop Alessandro Lualdi (1904-1927).

Initially, the collection mainly consisted of sculptures that decorated the Cathedral.

Visitors could see Renaissance and Baroque reliefs in the museum, as well as other artifacts from churches that were destroyed or no longer in use. This was supplemented by a significant loan of works from the National Museum of Palermo (now the Regional Gallery of Palazzo Abatellis), which included, among other things, paintings by Giorgio Vasari, Marco Pino, and Antonio Alberti, known as il Barbalonga, the latter still on display today.

After World War II, in 1952, the museum was renovated with the goal of exhibiting goods that had survived the bombings.

In 1972, the museum was reopened with a third setup; the rooms were enriched with artistic works from churches lacking adequate security measures. The current layout, designed by the Superintendency of Cultural Heritage of Palermo, in restored spaces based on the project by architect Salvatore Forzisi and engineer Giuseppe Siragusa, was opened to the public on December 22, 2003, in the presence of Cardinal Archbishop Salvatore De Giorgi (1996-2007).