Museo internazionale delle marionette Antonio Pasqualino, Ethnographic museum in Palermo, Italy
The Museo Internazionale delle Marionette Antonio Pasqualino is an ethnographic museum in Palermo that preserves a large collection of figures from different cultures and time periods. Its holdings range from Sicilian marionettes to Japanese Bunraku and Indonesian Wayang Kulit shadow puppets, offering a view of puppet theater traditions from around the world.
The museum was founded in 1975 by an association dedicated to preserving folk traditions and is housed in a former hotel building in central Palermo. Its establishment came at a time when documenting and protecting puppet theater traditions became increasingly important.
The puppet collections reflect how Sicilian communities used marionette theater to pass down stories and values, with the Opera dei Pupi tradition remaining part of local life. Visitors encounter a form of expression that brought heroes and ordinary people to the stage and connected generations.
The museum typically has limited opening hours on certain days of the week, so it's wise to check specific times before visiting. The building sits in the historic center, where parking is tight and walking is the best way to arrive.
The museum's Giuseppe Leggio library holds roughly 30,000 specialized publications, including rare manuscripts about puppet theater from the 19th and 20th centuries. This collection makes the space as much a research center for puppet theater history as it is a display venue.
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