National Archaeological Museum of Spain, Madrid, Spain

The National Archaeological Museum of Spain was founded in 1867 by a Royal Decree of Isabella II as a depository for numismatic, archaeological, ethnographical and decorative art collections of the Spanish monarchs.

The museum was originally located in the Embajadores district of Madrid. In 1895, it moved to a building designed specifically to house it, a neoclassical design by architect Francisco Jareño, built from 1866 to 1892. In 1968, renovation and extension works considerably increased its area. The remodelled museum concentrates on its core archaeological role, rather than decorative arts.

The collection includes, among others, Prehistoric, Egyptian, Celtic, Iberian, Greek and Roman antiquities and medieval (Visigothic, Islamic Spanish and Christian) objects.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Bert Sanford (18 months ago)
Absolutely fabulous! Lots to see and learn about civilization in Iberia. Too much too see in one day. You start on the ground floor and move forward in time with each floor. The layout of the floors flows really well. Not at lot to keep young children interested, so plan accordingly. The cafeteria is reasonably price, with a good variety if food. For the €3.00 entry, this place is a steal and worth a visit.

Colby Evans (19 months ago)
Quiet during our Friday evening visit. 3 euros for adults, kids free. Nice displays on early humans and the history of coins and money. Educational and interesting.

Glenn A. Jaspart (19 months ago)
Good museum but the coin section is not very interesting. Also: some important information is missing from a lot of items displayed (such as dates and origins). Otherwise, it is fairly pleasant to wander in the museum. A lot of things to see and you can leave your bags in a locker room before you visit so you feel unencumbered.

Ozge Ozdemir (19 months ago)
Quite comprehensive collection, many items are well-explained, the interior light and architecture gives an open feeling to the visitor. Definitely worth visiting, even if you are in Madrid only for 3 days. One suggestion, though: While informing about millenia and humans' development, it would be better to indicate the civilizations that emerged in other parts of the world in parallel to (or much earlier than) those in Iberia. At least a note to remind that 1000 BC was already a highly developed era for other parts of the world, like Egypt, Asia and Middle East; and the timeline there is only for Europe. Looking at the timeline diagram at the entrance, a visitor, without any prior knowledge, might think that the worldwide civil human and sophisticated institutions started in last half of 1st millennium BC, whereas we have the solid phenomena of Sumerians, Egyptians, Hittites, China, India, etc.

Valina Tsikala (20 months ago)
Huge museum, huge variety of things to see, it will take you at least 3 hours to see everything. The installations are brand new, it is great for children, and in every room you will find a corner with replicas for blind people to touch. On the ground floor you will find super clean toilets and cabinets where you can leave you belongings. All these for a ticket of 3 euro, and children enter for free. No waiting lines, no crowds.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Maciek Lulko

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The Old Town Hall of Wrocław is one of the main landmarks of the city. The Old Town Hall's long history reflects developments that have taken place in the city since its initial construction. The town hall serves the city of Wroclaw and is used for civic and cultural events such as concerts held in its Great Hall. In addition, it houses a museum and a basement restaurant.

The town hall was developed over a period of about 250 years, from the end of 13th century to the middle of 16th century. The structure and floor plan changed over this extended period in response to the changing needs of the city. The exact date of the initial construction is not known. However, between 1299 and 1301 a single-storey structure with cellars and a tower called the consistory was built. The oldest parts of the current building, the Burghers’ Hall and the lower floors of the tower, may date to this time. In these early days the primary purpose of the building was trade rather than civic administration activities.

Between 1328 and 1333 an upper storey was added to include the Council room and the Aldermen’s room. Expansion continued during the 14th century with the addition of extra rooms, most notably the Court room. The building became a key location for the city’s commercial and administrative functions.

The 15th and 16th centuries were times of prosperity for Wroclaw as was reflected in the rapid development of the building during that period. The construction program gathered momentum, particularly from 1470 to 1510, when several rooms were added. The Burghers’ Hall was re-vaulted to take on its current shape, and the upper story began to take shape with the development of the Great Hall and the addition of the Treasury and Little Treasury.

Further innovations during the 16th century included the addition of the city’s Coat of arms (1536), and the rebuilding of the upper part of the tower (1558–59). This was the final stage of the main building program. By 1560, the major features of today’s Stray Rates were established.

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During the 19th century there were two major changes. The courts moved to a separate building, and the Rates became the site of the city council and supporting functions. There was also a major program of renovation because the building had been neglected and was covered with creeping vines. The town hall now has several en-Gothic features including some sculptural decoration from this period.

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