Museo della Cattedrale di Ragusa
Cathedral museum of Ragusa in the Palazzo Garofalo: sacred furnishings, silverware, reliquaries and the exhibition “Sicilia Antiqua” of old maps and prints.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo della Cattedrale was founded on 7 November 1998 by decree of the bishop of Ragusa, Mons. Angelo Rizzo, to preserve the material evidence and historical memory of the parish of San Giovanni Battista. Its first home was the rooms of the rectory, with entrance from Via Roma.
In 2004 the cathedral bought Palazzo Garofalo, a noble building with foundations predating the 1693 earthquake, and made it the museum’s permanent home. The restoration was completed in 2009, and the palazzo became the Polo Culturale di Palazzo Garofalo (cultural centre), with an auditorium and exhibition rooms on the ground floor.
The route occupies the piano nobile (main floor), about 400 square metres, and follows the history of the community from the period before the 1693 earthquake to the establishment of the diocese in 1950. It includes silverware, vestments, reliquaries and ex-votos, the Via Crucis painted by Stefano Ragazzi in 1775 and the holy ark of San Giovanni Battista. Since 2013 the last rooms have housed the permanent exhibition “Sicilia Antiqua”, with maps and prints from 1500 to 1800 from the Fondazione Cesare e Doris Zipelli.
Highlights
- Box-shaped reliquary of San Giorgio in ivory and inlaid wood, 15th century
- Holy ark of San Giovanni Battista
- Via Crucis by Stefano Ragazzi, 1775
- Silverware, chalices, monstrances and sacred vestments
- “Sicilia Antiqua” exhibition with maps and prints from 1500 to 1800
Permanent exhibitions
- Il museo della cattedrale – Route through the piano nobile with silverware, vestments, reliquaries, ex-votos, the Via Crucis by Stefano Ragazzi and the holy ark of San Giovanni Battista, from before the 1693 earthquake to 1950.
- Sicilia Antiqua – Permanent exhibition of old maps and prints from 1500 to 1800 from the Fondazione Cesare e Doris Zipelli, with views of the Val di Noto and the archaeological sites of Cava d’Ispica, Kaukana and Kamarina.
- Founded
- 1998
- Operated by
- Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista, Diocesi di Ragusa
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Access for people with mobility impairments via the side entrance on Corso Italia.
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
| Good to know | The museum occupies the piano nobile of Palazzo Garofalo, reached by a staircase made of pietra pece (a dark local stone). Information on opening hours and costs should be requested from the museum. |
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