Museo internazionale delle marionette Antonio Pasqualino

About the museum

The museum was established in 1975 by the Associazione per la conservazione delle tradizioni popolari, founded in 1965 by Antonio Pasqualino together with a group of intellectuals. Pasqualino, a surgeon and anthropologist, devoted his research to the opera dei pupi, a theatre form that in the second half of the twentieth century seemed destined to disappear, and together with his wife Janne Vibaek collected stage scripts, pupi, small theatres and fittings, saving them from destruction. After his death in 1995 the museum took his name. From the beginning, the museum's activities have been accompanied by live performances, and the Festival di Morgana is held every year.

The current venue is the former Hotel de France, in the historic centre of Palermo, a short walk from Piazza Marina. The building was born in the eighteenth century as a palazzo of the marquises of Sant'Onofrio del Castillo, became a hotel in 1808 and in 1838 passed to the Giachery family; it hosted figures such as Joe Petrosino and Sigmund Freud. After its purchase by the University in 1936 and a long restoration, it now houses the museum in the winter garden and in the ballroom, used as a theatre. The route is spread over three levels, with exhibition spaces, a bookshop, the “Giuseppe Leggio” library and a media library.

The collection numbers over 5,000 items: marionettes, pupi, hand puppets, shadow figures, stage equipment and posters from every part of the world. It includes the largest collection of pupi of the Palermo, Catania and Neapolitan types, material from other traditions recognised by UNESCO, such as Japanese Bunraku and Indonesian Wayang Kulit, and works by contemporary artists such as Renato Guttuso, Tadeusz Kantor and Enrico Baj. In 2017 the museum won the ICOM Italia “Museo dell'anno” award.

Highlights

• Sicilian pupi of the Palermo, Catania and Neapolitan types
• Marionettes, hand puppets and shadow figures from Japan, Indonesia, Cambodia, Turkey and other countries
• Stage designs by Renato Guttuso and marionettes by Tadeusz Kantor and Enrico Baj
• Theatre hall in the former ballroom of the Hotel de France, with opera dei pupi performances
• “Giuseppe Leggio” library and media library

Founded

1975

Operated by

Associazione per la conservazione delle tradizioni popolari

Admission & discounts

Prices are not published on the pages consulted. Tickets can also be bought online, with an extra fee.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Opera dei pupi performances and the “Teatro al Museo” series of visual theatre for children.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in a side street off Via Butera, in the historic centre of Palermo, a short walk from Piazza Marina.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Bookshop, the “Giuseppe Leggio” library and media library with video, audio and photographic documentation.

Events & venue rental

The theatre hall hosts a programme of performances, study and training initiatives.

Plan your visit