Museo civico di Marsala
Town museum in the former Benedictine monastery of San Pietro, with archaeological, Sicilian puppet and Garibaldi sections; free admission.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The civic museum is housed in the San Pietro Monumental Complex, in the centre of Marsala. The building stands on the site where the Jewish community was located until the 16th century, and was inhabited by Benedictine nuns from 1418 to 1913. The oldest parts are the two pointed-arch portals, a tower and the church; the complex has a square plan and is arranged around a large central courtyard. After restoration in 1998 it became a multipurpose cultural centre, which also houses the municipal library “Salvatore Struppa”.
The museum is organised into three sections. The archaeological section occupies three rooms on the ground floor and holds much of the collection of Salvatore Struppa, donated to the city at the end of the 19th century, with finds from the urban area and from the necropolis of ancient Lilibeo.
The folk traditions section presents a selection of Sicilian pupi from the Carolingian cycle, with stage sets, curtains and a small theatre of the Palermo school, as well as the historic costumes of the Holy Thursday procession. The Risorgimento (Italian unification) and Garibaldi section is devoted to the Expedition of the Thousand and the landing at Marsala, and holds prints, documents, uniforms, weapons and memorabilia, including the damask armchair on which, according to tradition, Garibaldi rested after the landing.
Highlights
- Archaeological collection of Salvatore Struppa from ancient Lilibeo
- Sicilian pupi of the Carolingian cycle and a small Palermo-school theatre
- Garibaldi memorabilia of the Expedition of the Thousand
- Historic costumes of the Holy Thursday procession
- Former Benedictine monastery with a large central courtyard
Permanent exhibitions
- Sezione archeologica – Finds from the urban area and the necropolis of ancient Lilibeo, largely from the Struppa collection.
- Sezione delle tradizioni popolari – Sicilian pupi with stage sets, curtains and a Palermo-school theatre, together with the costumes of the Holy Thursday procession.
- Sezione risorgimentale-garibaldina – Prints, documents, uniforms, weapons and memorabilia linked to the landing of the Thousand at Marsala.
- Operated by
- Comune di Marsala
- Visitors per year
- approx. 45,182
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free admission.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours are possible; please ask the museum for information. |
