Palazzo Abatellis, Gothic palace and art museum in Palermo, Italy
Palazzo Abatellis is a Gothic palace and art museum in the heart of Palermo. The rectangular building encloses an inner courtyard and displays two crenellated towers as well as triple-mullioned windows along its main facade.
Francesco Abatellis, the port master of Palermo, commissioned architect Matteo Carnilivari to construct this residence between 1490 and 1495. The residence later became a convent and has housed the museum since the mid-20th century.
The Regional Gallery of Sicily houses the renowned fresco known as the Triumph of Death, which unfolds its somber narrative across an entire wall. Visitors also pause before Antonello da Messina's Annunciation, a painting celebrated for its concentrated expression and intense blue tones.
The museum stands on Via Alloro 4 in the historic district of Palermo and opens daily except Mondays. The rooms remain cool and quiet, which is welcome on hot summer days.
Carlo Scarpa redesigned the interior spaces in 1953 and created a distinct spatial arrangement for each work. His intervention connects medieval architecture with modern exhibition concepts through minimalist interventions and carefully planned sightlines.
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