Trifter

L’opera dei puppi other words, the puppet theater, is an ancient Sicilian tradition, though now berlusconisée television has replaced the traditional puppet show as popular entertainment reference. The Sicilian puppeteers have long described the gesture of paladins, narrating the exploits of Roland and other knights of Charlemagne, or staged the mysteries of the Passion of Christ, even more contemporary stories.
Museum Antonio Pasqualino, I suppose he is the founder, or the International Museum of Puppetry intends to Palermo to pay tribute to this popular art …

The museum is at the heart of the old city.

It is located near Garibaldi Square, the park dominated by giant ficus aerial roots which would be impressive for a little mind that is dedicated to Garibaldi, and some of his fellow expedition Thousand who came to take possession of Sicily and connecting the new kingdom of Italy in 1860.

It is also not far from Porta Felice, miraculous survivor of the bombing during the Second World War that targeted the port area, is marking the seaward limit of the city and the museum itself is located in one of the small streets of this district, almost an alley, which does not narrow as it conceals a tourist attraction.

The opening is rather relative, since during the weekend the museum is open on Saturday morning, and more broadly in the week, which is not necessarily what is more convenient for tourists, more often this weekend, getaway, another day of the week …
The building is modern.

Judging by the frescoes still visible on its walls, but otherwise it is an extension probably relatively recent, probably built to house the museum.

The heavy door with a symbol as Pere Ubu, in this case the logo of the museum opens on credit and shop, shop elsewhere disappointing since there are puppets of poor quality, real style tourist trap, whose price is also fluctuating as that of pottery in the souk of Marrakech, practice a little surprising for a European museum, but perhaps it is due to sicilianité that museum.

Most collections are on the second floor, except for a room on the first floor with some shadows (silhouettes) Indian or Balinese, and the visit of the museum is relatively fast, since there is ultimately that a handful of rooms to see.

The theater is a traditional Sicilian honor.

The posters announcing the shows are valuable evidence of their innocence, and we can see the Paladins and Moorish s’étriper happily in clashes in which violence is underscored by the abundance of blood, these posters are obviously not masterpieces of painting, but evidence of a folk art, somewhat like the old signs. One of the most fun is also probably one of the most recent showing strength murders and crimes of honor, probably painted in the 50s and 60s saw the appearance of the characters.

Puppets are a traditional emphasis on Charlemagne and his knights, and one can see many of these knights in armor, or their opponents infidels, but also more contemporary characters, little bum to the eye facetious prelate draped Cardinals in his cassock, lady in evening dress, and the fine finish of these puppets from 80 to 130 cm in height is certainly worth the look, these are little masterpieces of their kind, there is away from the quality of some very rough memories for tourists!

It is also fun to see more ambitious creations, like a Barber of Seville reproduced puppets, or attempts to follow the news with surprising puppets of Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy and Greta Garbo, the puppeteers do deprived obviously not to give a voice to the silent stars!
The museum also displays the puppets indeed.

Our Joker is strangely absent, but English Punch is there, and many Asian puppets, and some objects to limit the definition of puppetry, as African masks have a figure animated by the holder or a stick of New Hebrides, which has a more distant relationship with the puppet itself.

Thus we see some puppets of Japan, refined performance, or China, their faces resembling those of Peking opera, but also the water puppet of Vietnam and a couple of Thai puppets, a little too loaded as often in Siam, not to mention a Burmese orchestra, which played to make the audience wait for an hour before the performance starts, the story does not say if we took the opportunity to sell cold drinks and frozen Eskimo!

And finally, the visit ends with the Balinese shadow, well known, but more strange shadows Indian animals are clearly gendered, difficult not to know that the elephant is a male saw his silhouette ithyphallic, we found even in this popular art of puppetry without embarrassment vis-à-vis the sex of the inventors of the Kama Sutra …

The presentation is uneven.

The large rooms are bright and airy, almost too well because there is little puppets, and we could have more exposed, and a small room is instead a pile surreal puppet, not always well lit, the room is called “under development” and its actually looks sloppy.

The explanations are fairly brief, and such a lot of puppets are labeled by an inventory number (Form B363), without being specified the time and character, while knowing who they are and when they were dating valuable information for better contextualize them.
It is unfortunate that the presentation and explanations are not up to the quality of the collection, because there are really beautiful pieces in this museum …

The International Museum of Puppetry is an amusing curiosity.

This museum is discreetly located in a street of old Palermo has very nice collections, with particularly remarkable Sicilian puppets and very funny posters, and the quality of its collections makes it worth a look if you have time.

The presentation is uneven, however unfortunate, the beautiful collection is not always development as it should, and sometimes missing some essential information, it is unfortunate that such a beautiful collection is no better highlighted.
Suffice to say that this is not a must Palermo, but a short visit, in essence relatively quick (about an hour), is sympathetic …

* International Museum of the Marionette Antonio Pasqualino
- Monday to Friday: 09h00 -> 13h00, 15h30 -> 18h30
- Saturday: 09h00 -> 13h00
- Closed on Sundays and some holidays
- 32.80 francs (EUR 5)
- Via Butera, 1; Palermo
- Tel: 091 32 80 60
- Www.museomarionnettepalermo.it