TOURISM IN SYRACUSE, SICILY

The Galleria Regionale of the Palazzo Bellomo in Syracuse.

The Galleria Regionale of Syracuse is fresh from a meticulous renovation and reorganization.
It is housed in two gothic palaces, the Palazzo Parisio and Palazzo Bellomo  (of the 13th and 14th centuries), which themselves are of particular artistic interest.
 

The magnificent Catalan gothic façade of Palazzo Bellomo. 
 
The ground floor maintains the structure of the original 13th-century construction of the Swabian / Catalan period, and has a beautiful arcaded courtyard and staircase.
The Cortile della Palma (Palm Court), decorated with coats of arms from demolished building and monuments in Syracuse, is instead from the 18th century.

The gallery’s collection on display documents the evolution of art in Sicily and in particular in Syracuse, from the Byzantine period (6th century), Arab and Norman-Arab, until the 18th century.

The collection is remarkably rich with respect to painting and decorative arts, such as vestments and religious ornaments, jewels, polychrome ceramics, pottery, figurines, and nativity figures.
The objects on display come largely from churches and convents abandoned after the unification of Italy and were transferred in 1940 from the archeological museum, where they were formerly housed.

The most famous work in the gallery’s collection is without question the Burial of St. Lucia by Caravaggio, formerly in the church of Santa Lucia. There is ongoing discussion regarding the definitive location of the painting, torn between the gallery itself, the church of Santa Lucia, and temporary venues.

Equally famous is The Annunciation by Antonello da Messina, painted in 1471, back from a meticulous restoration that has finally restored for us large sections of the work that were missing.

Church of San Martino

A few steps from the palazzo Bellomo one notes the façade of the church of San Martino the Bishop, founded in the 6th century and rebuilt in the 14th century.
The beautiful gothic doorway dates from 1338.
 
The church of San Martino in Syracuse. 

How to reach the Galleria Regionale from the Algilà Ortigia Charme Hotel.

One finds the Galleria Regionale of Syracuse on the island of Ortigia, not far from the Duomo.
Given the small size of the island one can easily reach the gallery by foot, perhaps visiting along the way the Piazza Duomo and its monuments.

For those, however, who don’t wish to or cannot go on foot, bus #20 is available (which makes a loop around Ortigia every 30 minutes, and is in service from 7:20 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. every day), as well as a taxi service; or perhaps the bicycles that the Hotel Algilà makes available to its guests for free.
The reception desk at the hotel is available for information about these services and to reserve taxis at reduced rates.

Visitor Information.
The entrance to the gallery is located at Via Capodieci 14-16 (at the end of Via Roma).
The gallery is open every day, including holidays, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tickets cost 4 euros.  Reduced price tickets are 2 euros.
For personnel reasons, the hours can at times be subject to variation, therefore it’s advisable to call or write in advance, at (++39) 0931 69511 69511 – Fax (++39) 0931 69529, email: urp.gall.bellomo@regionale.sicilia.it.

Back to TOURISM IN SYRACUSE, SICILY