Museo Mandralisca
Cabinet-of-curiosities museum (wunderkammer) in Cefalù, in the palace of Baron Mandralisca, with the Portrait of an Unknown Man (Ritratto d’ignoto) by Antonello da Messina, archaeological finds and a rich shell collection.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum grows out of the collections of Enrico Pirajno, Baron of Mandralisca (Cefalù, 1809–1864), a nobleman, philanthropist, scholar and enlightened intellectual, who in his will of 26 October 1853 left his property to the city. The estate also included a school foundation: the Liceo Mandralisca began operating in 1890 and, after the school was nationalised in 1933, the body became the Fondazione Culturale.
The museum has kept the domestic atmosphere of a house museum and reflects the many interests of its founder. It includes a picture gallery, a large archaeological collection with Greek and Sicilian-Greek ceramics, a numismatic collection and one of the richest malacological collections in Europe, as well as minerals, furniture and objects that belonged to the family. The complex also includes a library of about 12,000 volumes and an old oil store with twenty semi-underground jars, restored in 1997.
The most famous piece is the Ritratto d’ignoto by Antonello da Messina, which inspired the novel “Il sorriso dell’ignoto marinaio” by Vincenzo Consolo. Among the archaeological finds stands out the Sicilian red-figure krater on a black ground known as the “Venditore di tonno” (Tuna Seller), dating to around 370 BC.
Highlights
- Ritratto d’ignoto by Antonello da Messina
- “Venditore di tonno” krater (around 370 BC)
- One of the richest shell collections in Europe
- Numismatic and archaeological collection
- Historic library of about 12,000 volumes
- Founded
- 1842
- Operated by
- Fondazione Culturale Mandralisca
- Visitors per year
- approx. 20,840
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €8 |
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| Reduced | €6members of affiliated associations, groups of at least 10 people and young people aged 11 to 15 |
| Children & teens | €3“Ridotto Plus” ticket at €3 for children aged 6 to 10; young people aged 11 to 15: €6. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €6 per personReduced rate for groups of at least 10 people. |
| Ridotto Plus (schools and children aged 6 to 10) | €3 |
Free admission for residents of Cefalù and for school groups from Cefalù. Tickets are bought at the ticket office at the entrance; booking is needed only for large groups.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 60 min |
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Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
Bookshop with gadgets, prints and publications.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Photography | Photography and filming are permitted inside, without flash. |
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