The Civic Museum of Marsala is housed in the Complesso Monumentale San Pietro, a multi-purpose cultural centre made from the former monastery of the Benedictine nuns of San Pietro, with the adjoining church of Santi Pietro e Paolo, closed to worship for many years and reopened in 2022; it is divided into three sections: archaeological, Risorgimento and Garibaldi, and popular traditions.
What to see
The archaeological section occupies three rooms on the ground floor of the former monastery: it displays finds from the urban area and the necropolis of ancient Lilybaeum, today's Marsala, covering the period from the fourth century BC to the second century AD, all of Lilybaeum manufacture and largely everyday vessels such as jugs, small amphorae and little cups. Also displayed is much of the collection of Salvatore Struppa, Marsala's first librarian, who gave it to the city at the end of the nineteenth century. The Risorgimento and Garibaldi section, founded by Giacomo Giustolisi in 1902 and named after him following his death, has been a section of the museum since 1998 and is housed in the San Pietro complex: it is devoted to the exploit of the Thousand and in particular to the landing at Marsala, and holds the relics of the Marsala patriot Abele Damiani, period arms used by the Garibaldians and their uniforms.
The popular traditions section is divided into two parts. The Holy Thursday one is a permanent display devoted to the Sacred Representation of the Passion of Marsala: there are the costumes of the actors who play the characters, the wax masks and the older papier-mâché ones with the face of Jesus, the crown of thorns, the scourges, the Roman soldiers' armoury and all the stage material, set up by the Confraternity of Sant'Anna, which organises the procession every year. The Sicilian Puppets section, established in 2008 in homage to the tradition of the opera dei pupi, is devoted to the puppet theatre company «Achille Taormina»: it houses a precious array of puppets with scenery, curtains, a small theatre of the Palermo school and the figures of the Carolingian cycle such as Orlando, Charlemagne and Angelica, part of Angelo Sicilia's private collection.
Visiting
The museum is in the Complesso Monumentale San Pietro, in Marsala. The sources consulted point to the sites of the Comune and of the cultural heritage authority: days, hours and tickets should be checked.
Our editors' tip
In the Garibaldi section look for the armchair in which General Garibaldi rested during his second visit to Marsala.
