The Diocesan
museum
is
located in the city centre of Catania, in a three-storey
building that belonged to the ancient “Seminario dei Clerici” in
Duomo square , near the Cathedral and “Palazzo dei Clerici”, a
surrounding of great historical and artistic interest.
The external
front, built after the earthquake of 1693 that destroyed all the
city, is characterized by the chromatic contrast of the
materials utilized for the reconstruction : the black of lava
stone from Etna volcano and the white of the Syracuse stone.
The museum was
open on the 1st of February 2001 and it is the symbol
of the religious fervor of the city, because it contains the art
and the treasures of the cathedral, such as silver religious
objects, canonical robes, sculptures, paintings and all the
ancient furniture. The display was done with great care and it
was realized following a thematic route divided into two
sections. The first, dedicated to the liturgical ornaments of
the Cathedral, takes place in the halls on the first floor and
it ends on the second floor in the chapel; the second section,
that contains the ornaments of the other churches of the city,
goes on in the halls of the second and the third floor,
including the “Picture-Gallery”. It contains precious paintings,
such as a “Madonna” (the Virgin Mary) with her baby and a
Crucifixion, dating back to the XIV century, a “Madonna” on a
throne with her baby (1880) by Bernardinus Niger and “the Sacred
Family” (1790) by Antonio Cavallucci.
Then, there is a
hall dedicated to the Patron Saint of Catania, “Sant’Agata”,
where is possible to find “ex-voto” jewels. On the ground floor
there is a room, where it is kept the silver “fercolo of
Sant’Agata”, that brings in procession the reliquary of the
Saint. It is a great privilege, for the people of Catania, to
have the opportunity to admire it closely.
Diocesan museum: Duomo
square, Via Etnea 8 Catania Tel
+39 095 281635
Visiting hours:
from Tuesday to
Sunday in the morning from 9,00 to 12,30 and in the afternoom
from 16,00 to 19,30. Entrance ticket:
€ 4,00;
Reduced-rate
ticket
€ 2.50; students € 1,00.
Web site:
http://www.museodiocesicatania.it/
