Friday 26th June 2026 — 30th September 2026
Palazzo di Giustizia di Palermo / Museo Civico di Castelbuono
Forty years ago, in a specially constructed bunker courthouse in Palermo, 475 members of the Sicilian Mafia stood trial in what became known as the Maxiprocesso — the largest criminal prosecution in history. Coordinated by the legendary anti-mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino — both later assassinated by Cosa Nostra — the trial marked a watershed moment in Italian history, in the fight against organised crime, and in the conscience of a nation.
In 2026, on the fortieth anniversary of its opening, the Museo Civico di Castelbuono presents MAXIPROCESSO — a powerful photographic installation by New York-based Sicilian artist Maria D. Rapicavoli, commissioned by the museum and supported by Strategia Fotografia 2025, promoted by the Directorate General for Contemporary Creativity of the Italian Ministry of Culture.
Thirty large-format photographs from Rapicavoli's series document the physical evidence of the trial — the towering faldoni, the bound dossiers containing witness statements, wiretap transcripts, interrogations of collaboratori di giustiziaand documentation of Cosa Nostra's activities compiled by Falcone's anti-mafia pool. The installation, conceived by architecture studio Supervoid, transforms these archival objects into monumental, documentary images — making visible the immense human labour behind one of the most significant legal proceedings of the twentieth century.
The project is curated by Laura Barreca (Director, Museo Civico di Castelbuono) and historian Giovanna Fiume, with the patronage of the National Association of Magistrates, the Court of Appeal of Palermo, the University of Palermo, and the Tribunal of Trapani.
Opening events — Friday 26th June 2026:
📰 11:00 — Press preview, Palazzo di Giustizia di Palermo
🎤 17:00 — Public presentation and conference, with institutional addresses from the Procuratrice Generale of Palermo, the Undersecretary of Culture, and contributions from Giuseppe Ayala, Fiammetta Borsellino, Ignazio De Francisci, Leonardo Guarnotta, Paola Maggio and Alfredo Morvillo — key figures in the original Maxiprocesso
🖼️ 18:30 — Inauguration of the photographic installation, first floor, Palazzo di Giustizia
The thirty photographs enter the permanent collection of the Museo Civico di Castelbuono, before travelling to the Tribunal of Trapani and other venues across Italy and abroad — with the museum's commitment, as curator Laura Barreca has stated, that "it never goes into storage, just as memory cannot be put away."
A companion volume (Lenz) with all 360 photographs from the series, with essays by Laura Barreca, Naor Ben-Yehoyada, Giovanna Fiume, Gabi Scardi, Jane and Peter Schneider, will be published alongside the exhibition.
From 26th June 2026, Palazzo di Giustizia di Palermo, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele Orlando 1.
Subsequently at the Museo Civico di Castelbuono — dates to be confirmed.
Free admission.
Visiting Sicily? The Ivy Courtyard offers exclusive accommodation in Castelbuono — home of the Museo Civico that commissioned this remarkable project. Discover The Queen's Chamber and book directly. stay@theivycourtyard.it
Event information is provided in good faith but may be subject to change. We recommend checking with official sources before travelling.