At the end of the XIX Century was finished the marquis of Cerralbo’s palace-museum, and now, after four years remodelling process, this Museum opens its doors again.

Madrileños and visitors will be able to admire again the extraordinary collection that this palace houses: sculptures, drawings, illustrations, armours, archaeological objects and paintings by Tintoretto, El Greco, Goya or Zurbarán.

This museum is located near Plaza de España, a new neighbour that was born at the end of the XIX Century, where all the bourgeoisie wanted to move during this period. Don Enrique de Aguilera y Gamboa, marquis of Cerralbo, decided to build this palace-museum to keep the complete art collection that he had acquired in his travels around Spain and Europe.

The result is this palace, very similar to the architecture of the French hotels from this age. The different rooms are articulated around a big courtyard. The principal rooms are on the mezzanine and the rest of the living rooms and halls on the principal floor.

The collection includes a big variety of objects: European paintings from the XVI to the XIX, sculptures, drawings, illustrations, coins, medals, archaeological objects, armours, and all kinds of clocks, lamps, jewellery, ceramic, furniture, carpets and tapestries.

As part of the streamlining of State-run museums, the Spanish Ministry of Culture played a decisive role in the upgrading of the building’s security and air-conditioning systems in an effort to improve the visitors’ wellbeing and the proper preservation of the collections.

The reopening is scheduled as part of the open-door session slated from the 14th of December to the 19 of December 2010 with free entrance.

Cerralbo Museum
Place: Ventura Rodríguez, 17
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.Sunday and Holydays from 10:00 to 3:00 p.m.Closed on Monday, 1st and 6th January, 1st May, 24th, 25th and 31st December.
Price: 3 €
Free Entrance: Saturday from 02:00 p.m. Sunday.


Image: Second Gallery. Cerralbo Museum's Archive