Located in the former Bourbon Prison building, the museum was established in 1843 as the “Cabinet of Archaeology and Natural History” by Emanuele Taranto Rosso.
In 1914, Don Luigi Sturzo, who was then the mayor of Caltagirone, restructured the museum layout.
The collections are divided into three sections: archaeology, history, and art. The exhibits showcase the most significant moments in the history of the Calatino area from Prehistory to the early Middle Ages.
The hall of the Calatino Senate has been reconstructed by relocating the ceremonial armchairs.
The armchairs are made of gilded leaf wood and have a high oval back upholstered in red damask.
The hall also features an imposing crimson velvet drape from the 18th century called the “Tosello”. The drape is decorated with the coats of arms with the crowned eagle of the Kingdom of Sicily, bearing the insignia of King Charles III of Bourbon on the chest, and on the sides the emblems of Caltagirone: the Crusader shield and two griffins.
The Picture Gallery displays a fair number of sacred oil paintings and includes a room dedicated to the Vaccaro family of painters, who generously donated several canvases to the city.
The final section contains a remarkable collection of paintings that reflects Don Luigi Sturzo’s broad interest in national and international art. During his tenure as pro-mayor of Caltagirone (1905-1920), he acquired for the city works by various artists, including Lo Jacono, Ciardi, Caprile, Bazzaro, Nitti, Esposito, Corrado, and others, on international art fairs.
