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 Superintendence 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-12pm); 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.