Diocesan Museum of Piazza Armerina

The Diocesan Museum is housed in the bishop’s palace, an elegant Mannerist palace attributed to Giandomenico Gagini, with hints of Baroque, but very sober, dating back to the first half of the 17th century. It currently hosts a permanent exhibition of works of art of ecclesiastical origin or religious theme that have been discovered and restored, as well as temporary exhibitions of contemporary art in the western mezzanine. The permanent exhibition entitled “Recoveries and restitutions. Acquisitions and restorations in the Diocese of Piazza Armerina” offers visitors some highly valuable works such as the large canvas of Saint Andrew the Apostle from the late 16th century, the Immaculate dated 1603, and the Deposition from the mid-17th century, all coming from the Grand Priory of Saint Andrew. Numerous wooden works, crucifixes, and statues are also exhibited, mostly dating back to the 17th century. The Museum also has a small bookshop. The palace was built to host the bishops of Catania during their visits to the city and was part of the dowry of the Bishop of Piazza at the time of the establishment of the Diocese in 1817. In reality, only the bishop Mons. Palermo lived there between 1887 and 1896. The palace remained abandoned for several decades, then was used as a school from the late 1930s to the 1950s, and then again remained abandoned. Restored by the Bishopric at the end of the 1990s to house the Diocesan Museum, it is characterized by an elegant courtyard dominated by a loggia with three arches.