Museo Riso
Regional museum of contemporary art in the 18th-century Palazzo Belmonte Riso, on the Cassaro: works by Sicilian and international artists from the Second World War onwards.
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About the museum
The museum is housed in Palazzo Belmonte Riso, a building in Palermo’s historic centre built at the end of the 18th century by the princes Ventimiglia di Belmonte, with late-Baroque and Neoclassical elements. After damage from the bombing of the Second World War and years of neglect, the Sicilian Region purchased it in 1986 and oversaw its restoration.
Since 2005 the palace has housed Riso, Museo d’Arte Contemporanea della Sicilia, the first contemporary art museum of the Region. The collection was formed from an initial nucleus curated by Paolo Falcone and Valentina Bruschi and has as its common thread the relationship with the Sicilian territory: it includes Sicilian artists of the post-war period linked to the Forma 1 group, such as Carla Accardi, Pietro Consagra and Antonio Sanfilippo, as well as Salvo and Emilio Isgrò, and works by Italian and international artists who worked or stayed on the island, among them Jannis Kounellis, Christian Boltanski and Richard Long.
In 2008 the S.A.C.S. archive dedicated to Sicilian artists was established. Later works extended the exhibition rooms and renewed the outdoor area, where since 2018 the work Circle of Life by Richard Long has been located.
Highlights
- Works by Carla Accardi, Pietro Consagra and Antonio Sanfilippo of the Forma 1 group
- Works by Salvo and Emilio Isgrò
- International artists linked to Sicily, including Kounellis, Boltanski and Long
- Circle of Life by Richard Long in the outdoor spaces
- S.A.C.S. archive of Sicilian artists
- 18th-century palace of the princes of Belmonte
Permanent exhibition
- Collezione permanente di arte contemporanea – Works by Sicilian artists of the post-war period and by Italian and international artists linked to Sicily, including Accardi, Consagra, Kounellis and Boltanski.
- Founded
- 2005
- Operated by
- Regione Siciliana
- Visitors per year
- approx. 57,005
Admission & discounts
| Reduced | –A 50% reduction for European Union citizens aged 18 to 25 and, subject to reciprocity, for non-EU citizens in the same age group. |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission for under-18s; under-12s only if accompanied by an adult. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with disabilities and for one family member or companion. |
Free admission: First Sunday of the month: free admission from 09:00 to 13:00 (last admission at 12:30).
The official website does not state the price of the standard ticket. Free admission also for licensed EU tour guides and interpreters, ICOM members, journalists, staff of the Sicilian Region and, subject to the conditions provided, for students and teachers of EU schools and universities.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
From Palermo Centrale station, walk along Via Roma to the junction with Corso Vittorio Emanuele, turn left and continue for about 400 metres. By car: motorway A29 or A19, exit at Corso Calatafimi in the direction of Piazza Indipendenza / Palermo centre, then follow the signs for the museum.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
BookCulture bookshop with a publishing selection curated by Skira and objects made by local artisans.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The museum offers an educational area; for information call 091 587717 or write to museo.arte.riso@regione.sicilia.it. |
