Sicily has inaugurated the Museum of the Present (Museo del Presente) inside Palermo's historic Palazzo Jung on 23 May, marking 33 years since the assassination of anti-Mafia judge Giovanni Falcone. The museum commemorates Mafia victims and confronts the ongoing threat of Cosa Nostra through personal artifacts, multimedia installations, and historical documentation, including items from Falcone and his colleague Paolo Borsellino. The opening was attended by Italy's interior, justice, and culture ministers, and entry remains free until 19 July.
The museum matters because it addresses a still-active phenomenon—organized crime—rather than a closed chapter of history, as curator Alessandro de Lisi emphasized. By blending memorialization with civic resistance, it highlights the enduring struggle against Cosa Nostra, which has recently regrouped with a tech-savvy generation. The museum also underscores the power of cultural institutions to confront trauma and inspire collective action, with plans to display Caravaggio's 'David with the Head of Goliath' as a symbol of overcoming fear.