Cerralbo Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Cerralbo Museum

Museo Cerralbo
Façade of Cerralbo Museum, at 17 Calle de Ventura Rodríguez
Established	1944
Location	Calle Ventura Rodríguez 17, Madrid, Spain
Type	Fine art museum, numismatic museum, antiquities museum, decorative arts museum
Spanish Property of Cultural Interest
Official name: Museo Cerralbo
Type	Non-movable
Criteria	Monument
Designated	1962
Reference no.	RI-51-0001382

The Cerralbo Museum (in Spanish: Museo Cerralbo) is a special museum in Madrid, Spain. It holds a huge collection of art and historical items. These treasures belonged to a nobleman named Enrique de Aguilera y Gamboa, who was the Marquis of Cerralbo. He passed away in 1922.

Discovering the Cerralbo Museum's History

The grand staircase inside the museum.

The Marquis of Cerralbo first opened this place as his own private art gallery in 1893. He wanted to share his amazing collection with others.

After he died, the Spanish government agreed to take care of his collection in 1924. Some of his items were moved to the National Archaeological Museum. The rest stayed in the building. In 1944, it officially became a public museum for everyone to enjoy.

The building itself was built in the 1800s. It has a beautiful Italian style. Inside, it was decorated very richly with fancy furniture, wall paintings, and expensive chandeliers. It still looks much like it did back then. In 1962, the building was recognized as an important historical monument.

Exploring the Museum's Collections

The Cerralbo Museum has over 24,900 different pieces! It's like a giant treasure chest.

Coins and Ancient Finds

One of the biggest parts of the collection is the numismatics section. This means it has a huge collection of old coins. The museum also has many ancient items from different cultures. You can see pieces from ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, and even from the Iberian Peninsula (where Spain is today). There are even two stone masks from Puerto Rico!

Art from Around the World

The museum also has a collection of art from Asia. This includes beautiful Chinese art and Japanese art. All the items you see at the museum were once part of the personal collections of the Marquis of Cerralbo and his wife, the Marquise of Villa-Huerta.

Famous Paintings to See

The Marquis especially loved Spanish and Italian paintings. He also liked religious art and portraits of people.

You can find paintings by famous artists like Jacopo Tintoretto, El Greco, Alonso Cano, and Zurbarán. There are also works by Luis Paret and many others.

Gallery of Artworks

Decorative Arts and More

The museum also displays many decorative items. These include delicate porcelain pieces and pottery. You can also see beautiful tapestries, soft carpets, old furniture, lamps, and sparkling jewellery.

A Collection of Clocks

If you like old machines, you'll enjoy the museum's collection of clocks. They have many French and English clocks from the 1700s and 1800s.

See also

• List of museums in Madrid