The museum shows the art and culture in Messina from the 12th to the 18th centuries, with outstanding figures such as the renowned artists Antonello da Messina, Girolamo Alibrandi, Polidoro and Caravaggio.

After the earthquake in 1908 the collections of the Civic Museum were expanded by the addition of paintings, sculptures and precious decorative works from damaged or destroyed buildings, creating a collection of paintings and sculptures by internationally known and local artists, together with a variety of other artworks.

The museum was reorganized and re-arranged in 1984 on historical principles: each area contains the most important works of the same period, regardless of their typological class.
The exhibition rooms are distributed around a tree-lined court with four portals of remarkable architectural interest taken from churches in Messina.