The
Civic Museum is placed in the Ursino castle, the residence of Frederick
II. It preserves some of the best evidences of the history and
of the catanese artistic production.
These are finds
coming from the collections of the Benedectine monks, the baron
Zappalą-Asmundo, and the prince of Biscari.Among the
exhibited works, the most interesting is the Madonna ed il
bambino by Antonello De Saliba (1466-1535). This work signed
and dated back to 1497, was part of a polyptych, which was kept
in in the church of Santa maria del Gesł.
The painting sant'Onofrio, by
bernazzo, who was a member of Cesare da Sesto's group, dates
back to 1536. the saint, a hermit in the Thebes desert, is
represented as hairy, with long hair, dressed with leaves,
holding a stick and an angel is giving a host to him. San
Giacomo, an oil painting, was made by Bernardino Niger, who
lived in the second half of the sixteenth century.
Among the other works there
are: the Madonna col bambino, by Lorenzo di Credi's studio
(1456-1537); L'Ultima Cena, by the Spanish Luis de Morales;
other masterpieces belong to private seventeenth and eighteenth
century collections; a big painting, Melanconia, is by Domenico
Fetti's Group, (1589-1624). This work is particularly
attratcting copy of the original, belonging to the Academy
Galleries of Venice, where a young woman is represented kneeling
and holding a skull, meditating upon frailty of human events.
The Museum also keeps some
works by some nineteenth centyru painters from Catania; among
these we find: Testa di Ofelia pazza, painted by Michele
Rapisardi; Ritratto di famiglia, by Giuseppe Rapisardi and
Paesaggio con l'Etna, by Giuseppe Sciuti, one of the best
painter in Catania of the nineteenth century.
On the ground floor, in the
thirteenth century hall, some Greek and Roman sculptures are
kept: a Torso dell'Imperatore.
In the Tower of the Martyrs,
Afrodite, which was recomposed with its original parts, is kept.
Moreover, the museum includes, also, a collection of Attic and
Corinthian vases, numismatic collections, old prints and bizarre
eighteenth-century objects, such as cribs.
The civic
museum of the Ursino castle:
P.zza Federico di Svevia - Catania - Tel. 095/345830.
Visiting
hours:
h. 8.30 - 13.30 all days.
Entrance:
free.
