The Museum was established by act of the City Council in 2004, named after the pioneer of the "Domenico Divella" and is located in the Palazzo San Domenico. This monument was erected towards the end of the 500s together with the church of Santa Maria del Rosario (more popularly known as "the church of San Domenico") where a community of Dominican friars from the order of Dominican (hence the name) were hosted from it’s founding until 1860. With the birth of the new unified Italian state, the friars were suppressed and the monastery became the property of the City. Today Palazzo San Domenico, on the first floor hosts a large public library, equipped with Web stations, a modern well-equipped conference room networked to the SBN "Terra di Bari" and the Museum of terracotta whistle "Domenico Divella" which hosts hundreds of artefacts created by the best Italian artists who contribute annually to the famous National Whistle Competition "Città di Rutigliano" organised by the city in conjunction with the equally famous Terracotta Whistle Fair.