The long-awaited appointment with the “European Night of Museums” returns on Saturday 18 May. The initiative was born with the patronage of UNESCO, the Council of Europe and the Icom (International council of museums) to encourage and promote knowledge of the national and European artistic and cultural heritage. During this evening museums, archaeological parks and historical sites of the Sicilian Region will open their doors, at the symbolic cost of one euro, offering guided tours, special exhibitions, artistic performances, workshops for children and much more. A unique opportunity to explore the permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, thus enriching your knowledge of Sicilian art and history.
Starting from Palermo, the Salinas Archaeological Museum will open its doors (7-11pm) with guided tours at 8pm and 9.30pm and with a visit to the open restoration site of the statue of “Diana the Huntress”; the Museum of Contemporary Art at Palazzo Belmonte Riso (7-12pm) with guided tours at 8pm and 9.30pm to discover sixty years of art history from Jannis Kounellis, Richard Long, Christian Boltanski, to the Sicilians Carla Accardi, Pietro Consagra, Antonio Sanfilippo and Emilio Isgrò; the Villino Florio and the Villino Favaloro from 6pm to midnight and, again, the Regional Design and Restoration Centre, which will open its headquarters in Palazzo Montalbo, from 7.30pm to 11.30pm, with a guided tour of the diagnostic and restoration laboratories, as well as at the library, at 8pm and 9.30pm. And again the Superintendency for Cultural Heritage of Palermo will keep the Benedictine Cloister in Monreale open continuously until 10pm, with guided tours at 8pm and 9.30pm. In the province, the archaeological park of Himera, Solunto and Monte Iato are open until 10pm, with the Antiquarium and the Pirro Marconi museum of Himera, the Antiquarium of Solunto, that of Monte Iato, the archaeological museum of the Valle dell'Eleuterio in Marineo, the Arab Baths in Cefalà Diana.
In Messina the regional museum is open (8-11.30 pm); in the province, however, evening visits from 8pm to midnight, to the Antiquarium of Milazzo, to the archaeological area of Tindari, to the Roman Villa of Patti, to the Roman Baths of Bagnoli in Capo d'Orlando and to the archaeological area of Halaesa Arconidea in Tusa. Extraordinary opening also for the Ancient Theater of Taormina and the Archaeological Museum of Naxos (8-11pm) and the Bernabò Brea Aeolian Archaeological Museum in Lipari (8-11pm).
In Agrigento the Pietro Griffo regional archaeological museum participates (9pm-1am, last entry at 12.15am): it will host an unprecedented theatrical itinerary with the children of the Empedocle classical high school in Agrigento which has as its common thread the myth of Achilles and Penthesilea, between Eros and Thanatos; in the province, the Archaeological Museum of the Badia di Licata (until 11pm), with a workshop for children (5.30pm-8.30pm) inspired by the very rich heritage of prehistoric vases and a show “The treasure from the past. A story for the museum” by Marco Savatteri (9-12pm).
In Caltanissetta visits to the Archaeological Museum of Marianopoli (6-10.30 pm) and the archaeological area of the Timolontee Walls of Gela (7-11 pm) where it will be possible to attend traveling theatrical performances on the history of the city.
In Catania extraordinary opening until midnight of the Ancient Theater and the Giovanni Verga House Museum, with a guided tour at 9pm conducted by the art historian Gaetano Bongiovanni on the theme “Giovanni Verga and Catania”. In the province, the Caltagirone Ceramics Museum and the Centuripe Archaeological Museum also participate in the initiative (8-12pm).
In the Enna area The Roman Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerina joins the initiative, with continuous opening until midnight.
In the Ragusa area evening visits to the monumental complex of the former Convent of the Cross in Scicli, to the Regional Archaeological Museum of Camarina, to the Ibleo Archaeological Museum of Ragusa and to the Forza Park in Ispica (7-10pm).
Also Syracuse joins the event with the extraordinary evening opening of the Paolo Orsi Archaeological Museum, which will be open to visitors until 11pm, with last entry at 10pm.
In the province of Trapani the Lilibeo archaeological park of Marsala is participating, with a program that includes, from 7pm to 8.30pm, a conversation on the theme “Poetry as an alternative present”, while, from 9.30pm to midnight, the visit to the museum will be accompanied by musical performances; the archaeological park of Selinunte, Cave di Cusa and Pantelleria, with the monumental area of Selinunte, Collina Orientale and Baglio Florio (8-12pm), the Satyr Museum of Mazara del Vallo (8-12pm), the Castle Museum of Grifeo di Partanna (8pm-12am); the temple of the Segesta archaeological park (7.30pm-10.30pm). The Region makes it known that it is advisable to check opening hours and visit proposals on the web or Facebook pages of the individual museum structures.
Initiatives also in Calabria
The city of Cosenza also this year adheres to the International Museum Day and the European Night of Museums, scheduled, Tomorrow, Saturday 18 May. A route that will wind through the history and culture of the city and which will connect Triglio hill to Pancrazio hill. As per tradition, confirming the desire to “network”, the National Gallery of Cosenza, Villa Rendano, the Brettii and Enotri Museum, the Diocesan Museum and the Comics Museum will be open throughout the evening, communicating with each other. A contribution will also be made by cultural associations and individual citizens, animating the ancient city with guided tours, concerts and exhibitions. In particular, friends of the “Kiri da Massa” group will accompany visitors through the alleys of the historic center, from the Brettii and Enotri Museum to the National Gallery of Cosenza (Palazzo Arnone); the “Stanislao Giacomantonio” Conservatory of Music and the “Cultura in Voce” Association will contribute with musical performances; the ELLEBI Art Gallery, included in the Urban Agenda program of the city of Cosenza, will welcome visitors with Ermanno Barovero's solo exhibition entitled Squarci…Visioni, with wine tasting and multi-sensory pairings. Starting from 8.00 pm, you can visit various places of the city's culture with an entrance ticket at the symbolic cost of €1.00.
Furthermore, the “Consentia Itinera” Museum, inside the prestigious Villa Rendano, will offer a guided tour of the villa and the digital routes of the Museum.
The Brettii and Enotri Museum, in the Sant'Agostino complex, will offer a rich musical program to accompany visits to the rooms, involving the “Stanislao Giacomantonio” Conservatory of Music with which it has had a fervent collaboration for a long time, often hosting concerts and performances. For the occasion, at 8.00 pm, in the cloister of the Museum, the Youth Wind Orchestra directed by Simone Emiliano Pasculli will be inaugurated. The Μεράκι cultural association, however, is entrusted with the task of guided tours, which can be combined with the tasting of aperitifs and cocktails at the Museum cafeteria.
The National Gallery of Cosenza will welcome visitors at 8.30 pm with a dialogue between the artists Cesare Berlingeri, Alfredo Pirri, Giulio Telarico and Antonio Pujia Veneziano. On the occasion of the Night of the Museums it will be possible to visit the temporary exhibition, set up in the spaces of Palazzo Arnone, with works by the artists Demetrio Giuffrè and Saso Pippia, curated by Rossana Baccari and Marilena Morabito, organized by the ACAV association. During the evening there will also be musical performances by the “Cultura in Voce” association.
For the little ones, an area dedicated to educational activities, namely “The little painter's corner”, has been designed and equipped. The Diocesan Museum will propose, for its part, a diversified program throughout the day on Saturday 18 May.
At 4.00 pm we start with the activities for the little ones, with a “treasure hunt” kept in the rooms. From 6.00 pm, there will be space for guided tours for the most vulnerable people, to make art accessible to all. The initiative is carried out in collaboration with the “Marconi-Guarasci” Higher Education Institute of Cosenza. The guided tours will begin from 8.00 pm, organized by the associations that revolve around the reality of the diocesan museum. In addition to the valuable works preserved, it will be possible to closely observe the “Madonna della cucina” by Pietro Perugino, on temporary loan.
The Night of Museums program also includes the Comics Museum which is located in the ancient monastery of Santa Chiara and which will remain open from 6pm to 11pm, with animation workshops, exhibitions and music. Remaining on Corso Telesio, in the exhibition rooms of the MAM (Museum of Arts and Crafts) you can participate, at 6.30 pm, in the inauguration of the exhibition of 60 artists from all over Italy.