Description of the attraction
The Flemish Tapestry Museum is a true gem in Marsala's artistic and historical heritage. The most valuable collection of Flemish tapestries of the late 16th century was donated by one of the most prominent residents of the city - Monsignor Antonio Lombardo, who at the time was the bishop of Messina. This collection is undoubtedly one of the most significant of its kind in southern Italy, after the famous Van Orly tapestry "The Battle of Padua", which is kept in the National Museum of Capodimonte in Naples.
The museum is located in a small but impressive building adjacent to the Cathedral of Marsala, which, in fact, belongs to. Eight tapestries tell the story of the conquest of Jerusalem by the Roman emperors Vespasian and Titus, written by the Jewish historian Josephus Flavius, who was a direct participant in the hostilities and further truce between the two peoples. The sizes of tapestries vary from 350x254 cm to 350x500 cm. All of them were woven in an upright position with exquisitely decorated flecks of wool and silk.
On the first tapestry you can see Josephus himself emerging from the cave in which he hid after the fall of Jerusalem under the onslaught of Vespasian. On the second canvas, Agrippa, ruler of the city of Tiberias in northeastern Israel, makes a speech in defense of the defeated city before Vespasian. The third tapestry depicts Vespasian, who is persuaded to accept the title of emperor after the death of Nero. On the next canvas, we see how honors are brought to the new emperor, and on the fifth tapestry Vespasian frees Josephus from his chains. Next is the battle between the Jew Jonathan and the Roman Priscus. On the seventh tapestry, the priest offers Titus, the son of Vespasian, two candlesticks and a sacred book for the revival of the service in the temple of Jerusalem. Finally, the last tapestry depicts Titus' sacrifice to the Jewish god Yahweh.
