The purpose of the Santa Maria di Betlem Museum Complex is to make accessible to the city and its visitors a part of Sassari’s history kept ” hidden” over the years. Embedded in the structure of the Franciscan convent, it is accessed from the library entrance on Artillery Street. The Museum Complex is divided into four areas: the library, the “Father Zirano” gallery with the Candlestick display, the cloister and the sacristy.
The church currently cannot be visited due to ongoing renovations. In the gallery of the ” Blessed Zirano” there are several thematic sections: the photographic section containing images of the “Faradde” of the last century; the section with images and videos of the 2019 Descent of the Candlesticks; the display of the precious simulacrum of Our Lady of the Assumption and an ancient dress of the sleeping Virgin from the 1700s, embroidered in gold and silver ili; the display of the ancient Candlesticks of the Gremi dei Contadini, Ortolani, Sarti and some traditional Gremi clothing; and the scale reproduction of the 13 candlesticks that participate in the August 14 festival.
After visiting the gallery, one enters the cloister with the 16th-century fountain called the ” Brigliadore” in the center and the sacristy in which valuable paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries are displayed. In the ancient library, located on the ground floor near the chapter house, a number of valuable texts, wall hangings, silverware and church furnishings from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries will be on display. Starting from the St. Mary’s complex, a route through the historic center is planned to visit the headquarters of the Blacksmiths’ Gremio (Discesa Santa Croce) and the Masons’ Gremio (Piazza Sant’Antonio).
