The Museum of Contemporary Art San Rocco (Museo di arte contemporanea San Rocco) is a contemporary art museum housed in the restored 17th-century Palazzo of San Rocco in Trapani, Sicily. The museum presents sacred and secular art, including both permanent works and temporary, experimental projects that address spiritual, cultural and social themes.[1][2]
The museum was founded in 2012 to exhibit a nucleus of the DiART diocesan collection of contemporary art, originally formed in 2004 at the seminary in Casa Santa, Erice.[1] Over time, the Trapani institution has expanded its offering with additional acquisitions and contemporary works.[3]
History
The Palazzo and former Church of San Rocco originated in the late 16th century, when Franciscan friars established a chapel dedicated to Saint Roch during a period of plague. The complex was expanded and rebuilt over the following centuries, including a Baroque reconstruction in 1653 and a neoclassical redesign in the 1760s.[4] After the suppression of religious orders in the 19th century, the building was secularised and used for civic functions, including a post office, public offices, school rooms, and from 1862 the provincial archive, now the State Archives of Trapani.[4]
The structure suffered extensive damage during the Second World War, and later urban development led to the demolition of parts of the former church, leaving the interior partially incorporated into newer constructions.[4] By the early 21st century the building was in disuse, and the Diocese of Trapani undertook a restoration programme. The Museum of Contemporary Art San Rocco opened in 2012, and a restored oratory within the complex was reconsecrated on 16 July 2014.[4][1][3]
Collections and programming
The museum's collection includes works by around 130 artists from more than twenty countries and comprises approximately 200 pieces, ranging from sacred and spiritually themed art to secular contemporary works.[5] In addition to its permanent displays, the museum hosts temporary and experimental exhibitions, including projects by independent and emerging artists.[6] Programming also includes talks, site-specific installations and interventions that explore the relationship between contemporary art and the building’s former sacred setting, such as the renewed Cappella del Cristo Danzante (“Chapel of the Dancing Christ”), a small chapel inside the restored complex.[4]
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