Description of the attraction
Palazzo Abatellis, also known as Palazzo Patella, is an ancient palace in Palermo that today houses the Regional Art Gallery of Sicily. It is located in the Kalsa quarter.
The palace was built in the 15th century by the architect Matteo Carnelivari, who at that time worked in Palermo on the Palazzo Ayutamikristo. Designed in the Gothic-Catalan style, it served as the seat of Francesco Abatellis, captain of the Kingdom of Sicily. After the death of Abatellis, the Palazzo went to his wife, who in turn bequeathed it to the convent. In order to adapt the building to the monastic life, a small reconstruction was carried out in it, in particular, in 1535-1541, a chapel was added, which hid one of the facades of the palace. In the 18th century, during the construction of the Church of Santa Maria della Pieta, the chapel was abolished and divided into several rooms. The front part was used as a reception area, the back rooms were turned into shops, and the altar was moved.
On the night of April 16-17, 1943, the Palazzo underwent a terrible bombardment by Allied troops: the covered balcony, portico, the south-western sector of the palace and the wall of the western tower were destroyed. After the war, the palace was renovated under the direction of architects Mario Guiotto and Armando Dillon and turned into an art gallery of medieval art, which opened in 1954.
Today, within the walls of the Regional Art Gallery of Sicily, you can see a collection of works of art, many of which were acquired after the closure of some religious orders in 1866. They were originally kept in the Pinacoteca of the University of Reggia, and in the second half of the 19th century - in the National Museum of Palermo.
The gallery's ground floor houses 12th century woodwork, 14th and 15th century art, including works by Antonello Gagini, 14th and 17th century majolica, Francesco Laurana's Bust of a Lady (15th century) and painted parts of the wooden ceilings. In the premises of the former chapel, there is a huge fresco "Triumph of Death" dating from 1445.
On the second floor, you can see the gallery's most famous painting, The Annunciation by Antonello da Messina (15th century), considered a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance. Here are exhibited canvases by this artist with images of Saints Augustine, Gregory and Jerome - once they were part of a large polyptych, now destroyed. Works by foreign artists include a triptych by Jan Gossaert and Jan Provost.
