Complesso Monumentale San Pietro

Marsala


Housed in a beautifully restored 15th-century convent, this arts centre is home to an intriguing complex of small museums. Most noteworthy is the upstairs space devoted to Giuseppe Garibaldi, who landed in Marsala on 11 May 1860 with his army of 1000 redshirts in the first stage of their successful campaign to conquer the kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The Garibaldi collection includes weapons, documents, uniforms and portraits but unfortunately lacks interpretive labels in English.

Other museums include a small collection of local archaeological finds and a space devoted to Marsala's unique Easter Thursday procession. On the upper floor, close to the courtyard entrance, you'll find the Museo dei Pupi, which displays Marsala-designed puppets and their theatrical backdrops.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Marsala attractions

1. Piazza della Repubblica

0.07 MILES

Marsala's most elegant piazza is dominated by the imposing Chiesa Madre. Just across the way, on the eastern side of the square, is the arcaded Palazzo…

2. Palazzo VII Aprile

0.08 MILES

This lovely arcaded palazzo, formerly known as the Palazzo Senatorio (Senatorial Palace), is now Marsala's town hall.

3. Chiesa del Purgatorio

0.08 MILES

This beautiful 18th-century church (1771), with showy, heavily sculpted facade, is a fine example of Sicilian baroque architecture – as is the ornate…

4. Museo degli Arazzi Fiammingi

0.09 MILES

Tapestry fans should check out this tiny museum displaying eight 16th-century Flemish tapestries, woven in Brussels for Spanish King Philip II.

5. Porta Nuova

0.17 MILES

This old town gate marks the western edge of Marsala's historic centre.

6. Porta Garibaldi

0.2 MILES

This old town gate marks the southern edge of Marsala's historic centre.

7. Museo Archeologico Baglio Anselmi

0.42 MILES

Marsala's finest treasure is the partially reconstructed remains of a Carthaginian liburna (warship) sunk off the Egadi Islands during the First Punic War…

8. Museo Whitaker

4.96 MILES

This museum on San Pantaleo island, 10km north of Marsala, houses a unique collection of Phoenician artefacts assembled over decades by amateur…