Galleria Regionale di Palazzo Abatellis

Sicily's top art museum in a 15th century Palermo palazzo

This is one of the best art museums in Sicily, well worth an hour or two of your time. The ground floor of this 15th-century, Catalan-Gothic-meets-Renaissance palazzo contains the sculpture collection, including one room devoted to Francesco Laurana (look for his bust of Eleonora of Aragon) and another room to a passel of Madonnas by the Gagini clan.

Also down here is the 1449 fresco of the Triumph of Death, by an unknown but clearly warped hand (possibly Flemish or from the school of Pisanello). The skeleton of death rides an emaciated horse, felling with his arrows an unduly number of bishops and popes while passing right by a clump of virtuous (and undoubtedly grateful) beggars and cripples.

Upstairs is the painting gallery, starring works by Sicily's greatest Renaissance master Antonella da Messina, including his signature masterpiece, the Madonna Annunziata. This is an "Annunciation" scene from the angel Gabriel's point of view, wherein a quiet, delicately featured Mary interrupted at her reading stretches out her hand to us from under the voluminous pyramid of an intensely blue shawl.

Also be on the lookout for the incredibly detailed 16th-cenutry Malvagna Triptych by Mabuse, Pietro Novelli's early–17th century Mannerist Madonna and Child in Glory, and Francesco Solimena's Return of Joseph's Brothers.

There are also some nice late 15th century frescoes by Palermitano Tommaso de Viglia.

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Tips & links

Details

Galleria Regionale di Palazzo Abatellis
Via Alloro 4
tel. +39-091-623-0033
www.regione.sicilia.it/beniculturali/palazzoabatellis
Open Tues–Fri 9am–6:30pm
Open Sat–Sun 9am–1pm
Adm: €8

Bus: 103, 105, 139, 225, 824

Planning your time

Spend at least an hour here; more likely 90 minutes to two hours.

Cumulative tickets

You can also get in on one of two otherwise unrelated cumulative tickets, one that covers three sights, another that covers five (one is not an extension of the other; there is no overlap except on this sight):

Tourist info

Palermo tourist office
Piazza Castelnuovo 34
tel. +39-091-605-8351
www.turismopalermo.it
www.provincia.palermo.it/turismo

Also useful:
www.comune.palermo.it
www.palermotourism.com

Buses: www.amat.pa.it
Trains: www.trenitalia.com
Airport: www.gesap.it
Port: www.portpalermo.it

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Details
Galleria Regionale di Palazzo Abatellis
Via Alloro 4
tel. +39-091-623-0033
www.regione.sicilia.it/beniculturali/palazzoabatellis
Open Tues–Fri 9am–6:30pm
Open Sat–Sun 9am–1pm
Adm: €8

Bus: 103, 105, 139, 225, 824
Tourist Info

Palermo tourist office
Piazza Castelnuovo 34
tel. +39-091-605-8351
www.turismopalermo.it
www.provincia.palermo.it/turismo

Also useful:
www.comune.palermo.it
www.palermotourism.com

Buses: www.amat.pa.it
Trains: www.trenitalia.com
Airport: www.gesap.it
Port: www.portpalermo.it


Palermo lodging
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★★ Centrale Palace Hotel [€€]
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