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Puppet Museum, Palermo

Puppet Museum, Palermo

The Puppet museum is one of the main attractions of Palermo. The museum is dedicated to the history of the birth and development of the main symbol of Sicily – dolls on ropes, also called "puppies" or "puppets". The museum is located in the central part of Palermo. In addition to the richest collection of dolls, there are performances twice a week. Annually, in November the puppet museum organizes a large Morgana Festival – the largest theatrical festival of Sicily.

History of the Puppet Museum

Puppet theatre became popular in Sicily in the Middle Ages, the first performances artists gave directly on the streets of the city. Theatres were opened only in the 19th century. Thanks to the indescribable talent of artists, the dolls came to life before the eyes of the audience.

The founder of the Puppet museum is Antonio Pasqualino, a surgeon and anthropologist by education, devoted most of his life to the history and study of the traditions of Sicily. Thanks to his active work, the Association for the Protection of National Traditions was founded in 1965.

The first exhibits in the museum collection were personally selected by Antonio Pasqualino and his wife long before the opening of the museum. They were dolls, as well as scenarios of performances and even unique scenery.

The museum was founded in 1975 and received international status. The collection includes puppets from France, Thailand, Spain, Congo and even Vietnam.

Museum's collection

The collection of the Museum of Puppets consists of 3500 exhibits: dolls made of wood, rags, different in height and costumes. Puppets from different countries of the world clearly reflect the characteristic features of their people. By the appearance of the dolls, you can easily determine in which region it was made. For example, according to the height of the dolls:

  • Palermo – 90 cm;
  • Catania – 140 cm;
  • Naples – 100 cm;
  • Brussels – 80 cm.

They also differ in mobility of the knees. The dolls from Naples and Liege are mobile, at the same time the puppets of Catania and Brussels are still.

Morgana Festival

The Morgana Festival is a festival of theatre and puppets, which takes place annually in the museum, every autumn, for 37 years already. It attracts artists from all over the world. Its main goal is the possibility of cultural exchange of artists from all continents. The festival starts in the walls of the museum, but later it moves to the streets of the city.

How to get there

The museum is located in the building of the regional center of Palermo, a few blocks from the Marina square. The collection is presented on three floors. There are numerous exhibition rooms, as well as a bookstore, video library, a library, a theatre room and a vault.

Opening hours:

  • 09: 00-13: 00, 14: 30-18: 30 (Monday to Saturday);
  • 10: 00-13: 00 (Sunday).

Every Tuesday and Friday at 18:30 you can see a puppet show, based on fairy tales and legends of Sicily.

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