Palazzo Branciforte, Palermo

Reopened to the public in 2012 following an exemplary restoration by Architect Gae Aulenti, Palazzo Branciforte is home to the Fondazione Sicilia and serves as an exhibition center for the foundation’s historical-artistic collections. Built in the 1500s, the palace houses, on the ground floor, collections of archaeology and maiolica, and on the first floor, collections of philately and numismatics, as well as a large library and a group of bronze works. 

One room is dedicated to the “Grand Tour” with an exhibition of graphic works and valuable volumes, illustrating the cultural phenomenon of the same name from the late 1700s to the early 1800s. The spaces of the Monte dei Pegni of Santa Rosalia are very evocative, featuring the exceptional wooden structure that extends through an entire wing of the palace. In this area, the historic collection of Sicilian marionettes by Giacomo Cuticchio is on display, a testament to the Opera dei Pupi of the Island, recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.