Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
La Kalsa
Due to its proximity to the port, La Kalsa was subjected to carpet bombing during WWII,
leaving it derelict and run down. Mother Teresa considered it akin to the shanty towns of
Calcutta and established a mission here. Thankfully, this galvanised embarrassed authorit-
ies into action and the quarter is now undergoing extensive restoration.
Galleria Regionale della Sicilia
MUSEUM
(Palazzo Abatellis; 091 623 00 11;
www.regione.sicilia.it/beniculturali/palazzoabatellis
;
Via Alloro 4;
adult/EU 18-25yr/EU under 18yr & over 65yr €8/4/free; 9am-6pm Tue-Fri, to 1pm Sat & Sun)
Housed
in the stately 15th-century Palazzo Abatellis, this fine museum features works by Sicilian
artists from the Middle Ages to the 18th century. Its greatest treasure is
Triunfo della
Morte
(Triumph of Death), a magnificent fresco in which Death is represented as a de-
monic skeleton mounted on a wasted horse, brandishing a wicked-looking scythe while
leaping over his hapless victims.
Galleria d'Arte Moderna
MUSEUM
( 091 843 16 05;
www.galleriadartemodernapalermo.it
; Via Sant'Anna 21; adult €7, 19-25yr & over
60yr €5, under 19yr free; 9.30am-6.30pm Tue-Sun)
This lovely, wheelchair-accessible museum
is housed in a sleekly renovated 15th-century
palazzo
(mansion), which metamorphosed
into a convent in the 17th century. Divided over three floors, the wide-ranging collection
of 19th- and 20th-century Sicilian art is beautifully displayed. There's a regular program
of modern-art exhibitions here, as well as an excellent bookshop and gift shop. English-
language audioguides cost €4.
Museo dell'Inquisizione
(Piazza Marina 61; adult/reduced €5/3; 10am-6pm)
Housed in the basement of the 14th-century
Palazzo Chiaromonte Steri, this recently opened museum offers a chilling but fascinating
look at the legacy of the Inquisition in Palermo. The honeycomb of former cells has been
painstakingly restored to reveal multiple layers of prisoners' graffiti and artwork (reli-
gious and otherwise). Excellent guided visits (in English upon request) are available.
MUSEUM
