Palermo. 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 in the 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. Below are the main initiatives (it is advisable to check opening hours and visit proposals on the web or Facebook pages of the individual museum structures).
Starting from Palermothey will open the doors on Salinas Archaeological Museum (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 Contemporary art museum 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 centrewhich will open its own headquarters in Montalbo Palace, from 7.30pm to 11.30pm, with a guided tour of the diagnostic and restoration laboratories, as well as the library, at 8pm and 9.30pm. And again the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage of Palermo will maintain continuous opening until 10pm on Benedictine cloister in Monreale, 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 theAntiquarium and the Pirro Marconi museum of HimeraL’Antiquarium of Soluntothat of Mount IatoThe Archaeological Museum of the Eleuterio Valley in Marineothe Arab baths in Cefalà Diana.
To Agrigento joins the Pietro Griffo Regional Archaeological Museum (9pm-01am, last entry at 00.15am): it will host an unprecedented theatrical journey 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).
TO Caltanissetta visits to Archaeological Museum of Marianopoli (6-10.30 pm) and atarchaeological area of the Timolontee Walls of Gela (7-11pm) where it will be possible to attend traveling theatrical performances on the history of the city.
TO Catania extraordinary opening until midnight Ancient Theatre and of 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 (8pm-12am).
In the’Ennese joins the initiative Roman Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerinawith continuous opening until midnight.
