Contribution short abstract:

The Museo Pitrè in Palermo preserves Sicily's intangible heritage, including the Sicilian "pupi" and their stories. Through storytelling and theatrical performances, the museum transforms "unwritten" traditions into a living experience that emotionally engages visitors.

Contribution long abstract:

The Museo Pitrè in Palermo is a custodian of Sicilian traditions and memories, where objects, stories, and values transcend the written word to create an emotional connection with visitors. Its collections, including the "Pupi" and panels dedicated to Orlando Furioso, exemplify how the museum intertwines tangible and intangible elements, creating a cultural legacy that not only preserves the past but brings it to life in the present. Once tools for moral education and entertainment for an often illiterate audience, the "Pupi" conveyed values such as courage and honor, strengthening collective identity. The theatrical performances, occasionally organized within the museum, enhance the dialogue between past and present, transforming the museum into a space of emotional experience that engages visitors of all ages and fosters a deep sense of participation. The Museo Pitrè does not simply preserve Sicilian cultural heritage but breathes life into it, turning what is "unwritten" into a visible and accessible legacy. Objects and stories, not merely testimonies of the past, evoke emotions, intertwining gestures and narratives with the personal memories of the visitors. Thus, both material and immaterial heritage become a living experience, reinterpreted and lived in the present. This approach transforms the museum into an emotional and engaging storyteller, where tradition is not only preserved but revived as a source of inspiration. It stimulates a continuous dialogue between the past and the future, creating an emotional and cultural landscape that reflects complex affective practices and transmitted traditions in an ongoing interaction between history, memory, and individual experience.