The Museum complex “Polo Museale” in Ciminna is a cultural centre and a widespread museum of the territory, promoting the protection, enhancement and use of the artistic, cultural, demo-ethno-anthropological, archaeological heritage and the Municipal Historical Archive
It is located in the former Santo Spirito Hospital, a sixteenth-century building commissioned by Paolo and Giovanna Ventimiglia from Ciminna, to accommodate indigent patients, pilgrims and foreigners. In the following centuries, the structure also offered hospitality to the so-called foundlings, abandoned children who were welcomed, fed and raised until they came of age thanks to the generous donations of the wealthiest families in the country.
Inside the complex, the chapel of the same name was built, which preserves an important artistic heritage. On the side shelves are placed the statues of the twelve apostles and the Madonna, while in the centre of the main wall, decorated in stucco, is displayed a canvas depicting the Pentecost, the work of the local painter Melchiorre Di Bella. Once upon a time, on the occasion of the solemnity of Pentecost, the twelve statuettes were carried in procession through the streets of the town, in a tradition that strengthened the bond between worship and community.
Between 1766 and 1769, the building underwent major decorative works by the stucco artist Giuseppe Guarneri, who worked on the facade, the vault, the walls and the shelves, as well as taking care of the cleaning and whitewashing of the chapel. Over time, many people left their possessions to the Hospital, allowing it to continue its mission in favor of the less well-off.
In 1905, a minor surgery clinic reserved for the poor was opened, as well as a pediatric section connected to the Civic Hospital of Palermo, thus continuing the institution’s vocation for assistance.
Abandoned, in the second half of the twentieth century the structure was later acquired by the Municipality and subjected to conservative restoration work thanks to funds from the European Community. Today, the Museum represents the rebirth of the ancient building, bringing it back to the centre of the city’s cultural life.
Inside, there are works of art of great value, recently restored, the ivory nativity scene from the 18th – 19th century attributed to the Tipa school of Trapani and a section dedicated to archaeological finds and the municipal historical archive.
Throughout the year, the spaces of the museum host a rich programme of events: exhibitions, guided tours, educational activities, conferences, initiatives and other cultural events organised by the Municipality of Ciminna and Local Associations. In particular, book presentations and exhibitions represent the main opportunities to enhance the museum collections, also by private collectors.
