The Modern Art Gallery of Palermo (Italian: Galleria d'Arte Moderna Palermo) is a civic art gallery of Palermo, displaying works from the 19th until the early 20th century, located on Via Sant'Anna #21, adjacent to the church of Sant'Anna la Misericordia in the ancient quarter of the Kalsa of the city of Palermo, region of Sicily, Italy. The collections were moved to this site, consisting of the former Franciscan convent associated with Sant'Anna and the adjacent Palazzo Bonet.
History
The Teatro Politeama on Piazza Ruggero Settimo, just north of the central Palermo was completed by the late 19th century, and to lure more visitors and create a cultural landmark, a painting and sculptor gallery, named after its initial patron, Empedocle Restivo, was installed in 1910 in the second floor foyer featuring mainly local contemporary talent. In 2006, it was decided to move the enlarging collection to a more central space, and the city had available the large former Franciscan convent near the church of Sant'Anna, and it adjacent former Palazzo Bonet, a former 15th-century residence.
The palazzo Bonet had been erected c. 1480 by the Catalan merchant Gaspare Bonet. In 1618, his family sold the palace to the Franciscans who made it part of their monastery. In the 18th century, earthquakes damaged the building, and refurbishments were made by the monastery. In the 19th century, part of the Convent was converted to apartments. In the 1866, the convent was suppressed, and parts were used for a school. Starting in 1996, the Municipality funded the refurbishment, creating more than 1,300 square meters of exhibition spaces, and rooms for educational activities, conference halls, library, archives, bookshop and cafeteria. The converision of the building into a museum was carried out by Tonino Martelli and Roberto Termini, with Alessandra Raso, Stefano Testa and Matteo Raso of the Cliostraat company adding to the planning for a museum. In 2006, the collection was moved from the Politeama here. The entrance and exhibition spaces are mainly housed in the former site of Palazzo Bonet.[1]