Alcamo's Museum of Multiethnic Musical Instruments: A Cultural Beacon in Sicily

 In the heart of the historic center of Alcamo, within the former church of San Giacomo De Spada, there is a unique space that celebrates music as a universal language: the "Museum of Multiethnic Musical Instruments." This gem, founded in 2014 thanks to the generous donation by Maestro Fausto Cannone, offers a journey through cultures and traditions from around the world through an extraordinary collection of musical instruments. Visiting the museum is an interactive and engaging experience, where visitors can listen to melodies, participate in workshops, or attend live demonstrations.

The museum is housed in the former church of San Giacomo De Spada, a building rich in history which, in the Middle Ages, served as a landmark for pilgrims traveling the Via Francigena Mazarense. This blend of history and music makes the museum a site of great cultural value, where musical diversity and tradition harmoniously meet.

The Collection: An Ethnomusical Treasure

The museum displays a total of 232 musical instruments from around the world, categorized into chordophones, aerophones, idiophones, and membranophones. Among the most precious items are rare instruments such as the Roneat Eak, an intricately carved Tibetan xylophone, the Saung-Gauk, a Burmese harp adorned with colored glass, and the Dung-Chen, finely carved Tibetan telescopic trumpets. Each instrument tells a story, evoking the cultural and musical traditions of distant peoples.

The museum does not just exhibit instruments but invites visitors to immerse themselves in a sensory experience, offering the chance to hear original music played on these instruments and to participate in musical workshops to learn playing techniques.

Mayor Surdi: "A Museum That Enhances Our Culture"

"We have joined the Network of Municipal Museums of Sicily promoted by ANCI because we believe in the value of the Network which will allow us to introduce our beautiful and original Museum of Multiethnic Musical Instruments to the region," states Mayor Domenico Surdi. "Thanks to the generous donation of Maestro Fausto Cannone, Alcamo boasts a collection of artistically valuable and utterly unique musical instruments, rare and precious pieces that reflect the musical culture of diverse geographical areas such as Africa, China, the Middle East, India, and Latin America. We wanted a modern setup for our museum," concludes the mayor, "that allows visitors to closely observe the instruments. Furthermore, through interactive experiences, visitors can travel with musical imagination to unknown destinations, participate in musical workshops, or attend live demonstrations."

A Project Involving the Sicilian Museum Network

The "Museum of Multiethnic Musical Instruments" of Alcamo is part of a broader project to enhance Sicilian culture. On October 30th in Palermo, at the Sala Piersanti Mattarella in the Palazzo dei Normanni, the event "A Cielo Aperto. Sicilia Paesaggio Museale" will be held, an initiative organized by ANCI Sicilia to present the Network of Municipal Museums. Authorities such as Paolo Amenta, president of ANCI Sicilia, Gaetano Galvagno, president of the ARS, and Roberto Lagalla, mayor of Palermo, will be present. The museum in Alcamo, with its unique collection and focus on musical cultures from around the world, serves as an important reference point for promoting cultural tourism and enhancing the Sicilian ethnomusical heritage.