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Located within the Department of Earth and Marine Sciences at the University of Palermo, in the historic former site of the Institute of Mineralogy at Via Archirafi 36, the Mineralogy Collection houses one of the richest and oldest mineral collections in Sicily.

 

                                                                                                                                     PH Sergio Calabrese

The historical core of the current mineral collection, composed of several thousand specimens, originates from the 19th-century Museum of Mineralogy and Geology of the Kingdom of Italy. The heart of the Collection consists of Sicilian gypsum-sulfur series, various mineral collections—often rare and sourced from all continents—rocks and decorative stone materials, fine Sicilian amber (simetite), and valuable antique scientific instruments used for study and research. Below are some of the specimens on display.

 

                                                                                                                                                                     PH Sergio Calabrese

 

The Mineralogy Collection takes part in local, national, and international initiatives (such as Le Vie dei Tesori, EsperienzaInsegna, and La Nuit des Musées). Since 2011, it has been reopened to the public—particularly to school groups—through the organization of guided tours by reservation, educational activities, internships, and thematic workshops.

Guided tours – 2024: 24
Number of visitors: 598

Guided tours – 2023: 25
Number of visitors: 550

Guided tours – 2022: 3
Number of visitors: 87