Musca ... The Museum of Sicilian Carts


This year in Taormina we have had the pleasure of the company of MUSCA, the Museum of Sicilian Carts.

The exhibition in the former Church of Carmine close to Porta Catania is a collection of Sicilian carts and started on 14th June and last until 12th July and we took time out of our busy schedule to pay a visit.

The event has been hosted by the Sicilian Carts Association of Tregastagni.

The former Church of Carmine is of a traditional baroque style and now used as an important venue for exhibitions and concerts in Taormina.

The Sicilian cart is one of the best known symbols of Sicilian folklore history and was created as a means of transport. The carts became popular at the beginning of the nineteenth century and were used to transport wood and agricultural products such as grains, fruit, almonds and wine. Its popularity declined in the second half of the twentieth century with the introduction of motor vehicles on the island.

One way of describing the carts is as story books on wheels. Each cart is made of wood and carved intricately by hand thereafter it is painted in bright colours depicting stories from Sicily’s colourful history.

Stories such as scenes from Napoleon’s battles and the crusades, the image of the Virgin Mary and other saints and some even with scenes from the life of Jesus. Traditionally carts from Catania would be painted with a red theme and those from Palermo with a yellow theme. Red and yellow are the colours of Sicily. All carts are painted inside and outside including the wheels.

Each cart requires four people to build, a sculptor, a painter, a wheelwright and a blacksmith. The carts also have added features underneath for storage for items such as food, umbrellas and Sicilian wine.

The horses that pulled the carts would have worn headbands adorned with leather plaques and gilded nails with their heads decorated with large colourful plumes in red and yellow.

The carts these days are used for festivals and are very popular for weddings. It is certainly a sight to behold when you see a horse and cart in a parade.


The designers Dolce and Gabbana recently drew inspiration from the Sicilian carts for their clothes and jewellery collection, even designing earrings the shape and colours of the wheels.
The exhibition also includes traditional Sicilian puppets and black and white photographs of the carts from Sicily’s past.

The carts in the exhibition are an exclusive collection and are available for weddings and events, for enquiries email muscamuseum@gmail.com and follow on Facebook at themuseumofsiciliancart, Instagram on muscamuseum and Twitter muscamuseum.

Whilst unfortunately the exhibition comes to a close tomorrow head to Corso Umberto this evening between 6pm and 8pm for a final parade of these stunning carts.

Now sit back relax and enjoy our gallery from the exhibition.

For White Almond Sicily enquries email sarah@whitealmond-privatesicily.com




















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