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Diocesan museum in the 17th-century bishop’s palace of Palestrina, with fourteen halls of the diocese’s sacred art; free admission.
From October 2, 2026
Installation by Matthias Omahen inspired by the relief of the god Aeolus: the breath of the wind as the breath of time, combined with a suspended Colosseum-shaped hot-air balloon and a terracotta relief.
From September 25, 2026
Installation by Loredana Manciati in the museum's church of Sant'Egidio: martyrdom as today's everyday violence, made of exploitation and indifference towards the most vulnerable.
The Museo Diocesano Prenestino di Arte Sacra occupies part of the episcopal palace (episcopio) of Palestrina, a 17th-century building that was originally the seat of the first diocesan seminary, founded in 1669 by Cardinal Antonio Barberini junior. The museum opened on 8 May 2005 and in 2025 celebrated its first twenty years of activity, remembering those who conceived and realised the project, Peppino Tomassi and Monsignor Vito Cinti.
The route unfolds through fourteen halls and presents the sacred artistic heritage of the diocesan territory: paintings, sculptures, goldsmiths’ work, reliquaries, vestments, books and documents from the churches of the towns of the Palestrina area. Among the works illustrated on the museum’s website are an Annunciation by Carlo Maratta, the reliquary bust of Sant’Agapito, a gradual of 1499 and a Roman inscription; the picture gallery also holds a painting attributed to Caravaggio, which was lent for an exhibition in Seoul.
The museum also runs cultural activities: temporary exhibitions, concerts, lectures, workshops and initiatives for young people. A virtual tour of the halls, produced by students of the local vocational institute, is available on the website.
Admission is free.
Free admission.
The museum is accessible in all exhibition areas: a lift serves the first floor, and ramps allow access also for wheelchairs, with or without motor assistance. The main entrance is accessible to people with mobility impairments, and it is also possible to enter from the inner courtyard, where you can park. The toilets on the ground floor meet the standards. Display cases and panels offer good viewing conditions.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Parking available
The museum is at Via Roma 23, in the episcopal palace; from the inner courtyard, where you can park your car, you reach the various rooms.
Get directionsThe museum hasn’t published any information on this.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
| Good to know | Booking required (by email or phone). A virtual tour of the halls is available on the website. |
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