Palermo's Diocesan Museum is home to an important collection of artworks. The basement hosts a medley of sculptures from the 15th to 18th centuries, including works by Renaissance artists Francesco Laurana and Antonello Gagini. The 1st floor occupies 12 halls of the old Archbishop's Palace, furnished with Italian and Flemish paintings from the 16th to 19th centuries. Don't miss the Sala Beccadelli, capped by a mid-15th-century ceiling and the Cappella Borremans, lavished with 18th-century frescoes by Flemish painter Guglielmo Borremans.
The museum houses works by Pietro Novelli, Sicily's most significant painter of the early 17th century, including Compianto di Cristo morto (Lamentation of Christ), a masterpiece reflecting the influence of both Caravaggio and Van Dyck. Also of particular interest is the Veduta della Cattedrale di Palermo (View of Palermo Cathedral), which offers a rare depiction of the exterior of the medieval church before its 18th-century alterations, which included the addition of the dome.
