by Redazione 04/11/2026
Categories: Museums / Disclaimer
Following a renovation project that began in 2009, the Antonino Salinas Regional Archaeological Museum in Palermo will open its first and second floors on November 5. The new exhibition features the historical collections, the Mosaic Room, and previously unexhibited artifacts from 20th-century archaeological excavations.
The Antonino Salinas Regional Archaeological Museum in Palermo has completed its renovation project with the reopening to the public of the first and second floors, which underwent restoration, functional rehabilitation, and a redesign of the museum layout beginning in 2009. The inauguration is scheduled for Thursday, November 5, at 5:00 p.m., during a ceremony reserved for the press and officials, in the presence of the President of the Sicilian Region, Renato Schifani; the Regional Councilor for Cultural Heritage, Francesco Paolo Scarpinato; and the museum’s director, Giuseppe Parello. The presentation of the projects will be coordinated by journalist Elvira Terranova.
With the completion of the work, Sicily’s oldest museum, founded in 1814, now presents its historical collections in a new layout. Since 1866, the museum has been housed in the monumental complex of the former 17th-century convent of the Filippini Fathers, in Piazza Olivella, and houses collections that document various phases of the island’s history and archaeology.
The restoration and reorganization project involved all three floors of the building. The first phase was completed in 2016 with the reopening of the ground floor, followed in 2017 by the inauguration of the Agorà multifunctional space. Following the renovation of the upper floors, the curatorial redesign of the first and second floors began in 2022 and was completed in 2026.
The new exhibition layout organizes the collections into thematic and chronological sections. The first floor houses the historical collections, including the Bourbon donations, the Casuccini collection of Etruscan art, the jewelry collection, and the medal collection, with coins spanning a time period from the Phoenician era to the time of Garibaldi.
The second floor, on the other hand, houses the large Mosaic Hall and an exhibition dedicated to the excavation campaigns conducted throughout the 20th century in Palermo and western Sicily. A significant portion of the exhibition will consist of previously unseen artifacts, never before presented to the public. During the presentation, an important new development in scientific research will also be announced, aimed at establishing a connection between the Salinas Museum and the archaeological site of Pompeii.
To mark the reopening, the museum will offer free admission all day on Friday, November 6. Starting on that date—including for the free admission day—visits must be booked through the CoopCulture website, which manages the museum’s additional services (www.coopculture.it).
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| After 17 years of construction, the Salinas Museum in Palermo is reopening its floors |
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