Museums, Freetown

A decent little museum located centrally in the Le Plateau region, with a special focus on Ivorian art. Exhibits include; beautiful human and animal statuettes made of terracotta, jewelry, pottery, indigenous musical instruments, wooden masks and other carvings from all parts of the country. http://afrotourism.com/attraction/musee-national/

The museum is an initiative of the city council of Cocody, which was started in November 1993. Featuring a permanent exhibition of modern and contemporary works by Ivorian and other African artistes, the museum’s collection has over 150 paintings, 40 sculptural pieces, 15 ceramics, 11 tapestries and 216 books. http://afrotourism.com/attraction/musee-municipal-dart-contemporai/

It was officially opened by the Duchess of Kent during the Independence celebration in March, 1957. Located on Barnes Road, close to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, the National Museum is the repository of the country’s historical and cultural treasures, as well as artifacts from other ancient African Empires. The collections range from prehistoric, archaeological discoveries to colonial antiquities and exhibits of contemporary African Art. http://www.ghana.travel/places-to-visit/regions/greater-accra/

This magnificent monument on High Street was erected in honour of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, a great Pan-Africanist who led the country to Independence in 1957. T http://www.ghana.travel/places-to-visit/regions/greater-accra/

There is only one institution that can pride itself as Nigeria’s Cultural Centre. And that’s none other than the inimitable Terra Kulture – the arts, entertainment and educational hub that has been at the fore-front of redefining Nigeria’s cultural landscape over the last decade. http://afrotourism.com/attraction/terra-kulture/

Created at the initiative of architect César Manrique , the Museum of Contemporary Art (MIAC) is located in an old 18th-century fortress called San José Castle. http://www.spain.info/en_IN/que-quieres/arte/museos/lanzarote/museo_internacional_de_arte_contemporaneo_-_castillo_de_san_jose.html

This museum promises to make us live a unique experience. form the distillation of floral waters to the extraction of vegetable and essential oils, including the collections of rare objects being of use to the creation of perfumes, those of medicinal and aromatic plants used in the hammam rite, we discover the Moroccan ancestral know-how regarding perfume shop. in addition to its exhibitions, it proposes recreational activities and workshops to understand better this universe so particular. https://visitmarrakech.com/discover-marrakech/tourist-attractions/perfume-museum

it is in the workshop of Jacques Majorelle that the Berber Museum was inaugurated in 2011 under the high Patronage of his Majesty king Mohamed Vi. it presents a panorama of the extraordinary creativity of this people, the oldest in North africa. from the rif to the sahara, more than 600 objects collected by Pierre Bergé and Yves saint laurent attest to the richness and diversity of a culture that is still alive. The museum unfolds in four distinct spaces, articulated around as many themes. The history and geography of the Berbers (amazighs) of Morocco, as well as a cartography of the most significant tribes, are presented: a rich audiovisual documentation accompanies the visitors throughout their visit. https://visitmarrakech.com/discover-marrakech/tourist-attractions/berber-museum

Located in a 16th century palace, the former residence of the Bishops of Funchal, it is one of the oldest and most well preserved museums in Funchal. http://www.visitmadeira.pt/en-gb/what-to-do/culture/pesquisa/religious-art-museum

Nice architectural eclectic model from the beginning of the XX century. It has housed, for a long time, the stock market of Pernambuco and Paraíba. It has recently been restored and, nowadays, is a cultural center. https://visit.recife.br/en/o-que-fazer/atracoes/museus/caixa-cultural-recife

The Museum of Mediterranean Cultures Kasbah Museum is located in one of the historic districts of the city. This museum has seen its interior layout and its rejuvenated collection. It offers a route of Tangier and its region through the mazes of time, from prehistory to the nineteenth century. https://www.visittanger.com/fr/experiences/profitez/tourisme-culturel/musees

The Alcázar de Jerez one of the most emblematic monuments of the city. Located in the southeast corner of the walled enclosure, forming a complex defensive system with the walls, towers and gates. The term alcazar, comes from Arabic, al-qasr and defines a set of buildings, surrounded by walls, which were the seat of political and military power. Fortress-palace with autonomous operation, a small city, seat of power that governed the city and its territory. From the original Islamic fortress, the two doors are preserved; the mosque, the Arab baths; the octagonal tower and the Pavilion of the Doña Blanca patio, located at the foot of this tower. http://www.turismojerez.com/index.php/en/what-to-visit-in-jerez/culture-3/museums-and-heritage-centres/item/334-conjunto-monumental-del-alc%C3%A1zar-y-camara-oscura/334-conjunto-monumental-del-alc%C3%A1zar-y-camara-oscura

The Pinacoteca de Bodegas Tradición is made up of a selection of works belonging to the Joaquín Rivero Collection of Spanish painting. As of June 2006, a winery warehouse, after a laborious work of conditioning, will permanently house such important works, so that any visitor can enjoy them. The Joaquín Rivero Collection is one of the most important exhibited in Andalusia. Its fundamental characteristic is that it brings together more than 300 works of great masters of Spanish painting in a collection of private art, from the 15th to the 19th centuries. In it are represented all the important artistic movements that have been produced throughout the history of Spanish painting, as well as the authors who by their own significance make up the artistic scene of the moment: Zurbarán, Velázquez, Hiepes, Labrador, Valdés Leal, Goya, Maella, Lucas Velázquez, Madrazo, Lucas Villamil, Carlos de Haes and many other authors that will allow our visitors to walk through the history of Spain through his painting. http://www.turismojerez.com/index.php/en/what-to-visit-in-jerez/wine-brandy-3/museums-heritage-centres-and-collections-wine/item/1337-colecci%C3%B3n-joaqu%C3%ADn-rivero?catid=69

In 1264 the troops of Alfonso X conquer Jerez definitively to the Muslims. At that time, the monarch gave the Dominicans a military building of Islamic origin located in front of the door of Seville, to found their convent there. The first century of existence of the monastery of Santo Domingo had to be very hard, since the attacks by the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada and its North African allies were constant. The convent of Santo Domingo remained a united group until 1835, when the different confiscations of the liberal governments of Isabel's reign decreed the exclaustration and seizure of the assets of the convent. Although the church remained open to worship, the cloisters were sold. In the beginning, the owners were Los González, an important family of winemakers from Santander Mountain, who installed here the so-called Museum of Santo Domingo, a kind of trinket in which works of art, furniture and other decorative objects were sold. Then the complex became the property of the Díez family, who installed a cellar in the old bedroom and made a series of somewhat aggressive works with the monument. Los Dietros sold Los Claustros to the Rumasa holding company, which was expropriated in 1983, becoming the property of the City Council, which used it as cultural equipment for years. In 1999 the complex was closed for restoration, reopening its doors in 2012. http://www.turismojerez.com/index.php/en/what-to-visit-in-jerez/culture-3/jerez-monumental-secular-monuments/item/1455-los-claustros-de-santo-domingo?catid=102

Here is a permanent display of a selection from the historic and artistic Municipal Heritage. Paintings, sculptures and graphic works including works by Picasso or Carlos Haes. http://www.malagaturismo.com/en/tourist-resources/detail/museo-del-patrimonio-municipal-mupam-municipal-heritage-museum/5

The Archaeological Museum of Seville has its origins at the end of the 19th century, when a public collection of antiquities was created, most of it taken from the Roman city Italica. https://www.visitasevilla.es/en/museo-arqueologico

The Museum of Spanish Guitar ‘Antonio de Torres’ is more than a museum space, an exhibition and information center that will allow visitors to learn in a fun and easy way primary keys of one of the most popular musical instruments around the world as is the guitar. The most played and produced in the history of world music instrument comes from the hand of its maximum precursor, the luthier Antonio Torres, considered the father of contemporary guitar. Therefore, among the objectives of this project the Culture of the City of Almería as the main driving force behind the same aims that visitors actively participate in the museum itself and, by extension, in the cultural life of the city of Almeria. The Museum offers participants much more than a simple succession of pieces, it is a surprising, relevant, educational, interactive and attractive cultural space, open to the public and visitors. https://www.turismodealmeria.org/en/motivo-tematico/guitar-museum-antonio-torres/

The museum, recently reconstructed modern building, located on the Carretera de Ronda, houses inter esantesfondos with valuable works from prehistory to the Muslim period. In addition, the museum was awarded the European Museum of the Year Award in 2008, and inside, in addition to continuous exposure other activities such as conferences, exhibitions and festivals are held. https://www.turismodealmeria.org/en/motivo-tematico/museo-de-almeria-arqueologico/

This palace museum has an extensive collection of items from Cordoba including furniture and coffered objects. Of particular note is the staircase which gives access to the upper floor. This stately mansion was originally a single building that was extended with the adjoining buildings, and today occupies a large area with a predominance of courtyards and gardens. https://www.spain.info/en/que-quieres/arte/monumentos/cordoba/palacio_de_los_marqueses_de_viana.html

Inaugurated in September 2009, the Casa das Histórias Paula Rego is the result of the combined efforts and strong determination shown by both the Cascais Municipal Council and the artist herself, who lived for a long time in Estoril. The museum space was designed by the 2011 Pritzker Award-winning architect Eduardo Souto de Moura, and comprises 750 m2 of exhibition areas, an auditorium, café, terrace, garden and a shop selling original merchandise. The collection consists of the donation of all of the artist’s engraving work and a set of drawings by Paula Rego almost completely unseen before the museum’s opening, further complemented by the loan, over a ten-year period, of her private collection, which includes paintings and drawings from different periods in her 50-year career as an artist, as well as some works produced by her late husband, Victor Willing, an artist and art critic. Besides the Collection, which is exhibited on a rotational basis, the Casa das Histórias Paula Rego also organises Temporary Exhibitions and a parallel programme of different events (conferences, talks, films and documentaries), as well as benefiting from an Educational Service with a wide range of activities aimed at different audiences. https://www.visitportugal.com/en/NR/exeres/823AA52F-7A2C-4573-8244-9F04407B6C82

ARQUA Museo Nacional de Arqueología Subacuática is the institution in charge of studying, valuing, investigating, preserving, disseminating and protecting the Spanish underwater cultural heritage. It is also home to the Permanent Observatory for the National Plan for the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage. These tasks are carried out in collaboration with the different regional governments and its research centres and in cooperation with the States who partner with the UNESCO Convention. Furthermore, the ARQUA has recently taken charge of the Odyssey’s treasure. The Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes frigate collection, which consists of more than 570,000 gold and silver coins from the late 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. https://www.murciaturistica.es/en/museum/arqua-museo-nacional-de-arqueologia-subacuatica-132/

The Mobile Museum of the Carlos Machado Museum is an unprecedented project at national level that knows its first expression precisely in the Autonomous Region of the Azores. http://museucarlosmachado.azores.gov.pt/

The origin of this museum dates back to the 19th century. At that time, the life and work of Francisco Salzillo were soon enveloped by popular legends of romantic taste. https://www.murciaturistica.es/en/museum?ficha=45

The most important temple in the Region is a magnificent merge of styles, a catalogue of stone which summarizes more than six centuries of art and history. Its construction began in 1394 over the remains of an old Arabic mosque and in 1462 its vaults were finished. The oldest entrance is La Puerta de Los Apóstoles (the door of the Apostles). Its only storefront is flanked by pointed archivolts with statues of the apostles on it. La Puerta de las Cadenas( the door of the Chains) dates from 1513 and has original pilasters and archivolts. From the 15th century dates the Capilla de Los Vélez covered by a ten-pointed star vault and profusely decorated. Another famous chapel is that of Junterón, whose oval ground plan is covered by an extremely original vault. Its baroque main façade (Imafronte), Jaime Bort¿s work, is an exaltation of Levantine art (the 18th century eastern Spain art). It is divided as an altarpiece into two parts and three vertical sections. The tower, divided into five parts, is 92 meters high. Its construction started in 1511 and the fifth body hosts twenty-five church bells https://www.murciaturistica.es/en/monument/catedral-de-murcia-327/

On the Islamic-Mudejar palace of the Emir of Murcia, Ibn Hud, the monastery of Santa Clara was founded, which since 1365 houses the Clarisas nuns. In this building come several centuries of history and different cultures such as Islamic, Gothic and Baroque. The museum space and the nuns coexist in total harmony. It conserves one of the oldest Arabic pools in Spain. https://www.murciaturistica.es/en/museum/museo-de-santa-clara-102/

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, Säo Miguel fort was built in 1576 by Paulo Dias de Novais who founded the city of Luanda. In 1627, the fort became the administrative colony and was a major outlet for slave traffic to Brazil. With thick walls fitted with cannons, it was a fortified enclosure, and it remained the headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief of the Portuguese Army in Angola until 1975. The fort presently houses the National Museum of Military History. http://afrotourism.com/attraction/fortaleza-de-sao-miguel-saint-michaels-fortress/

Dedicated to educating people about the history and culture of Angola, the National Museum of Anthropology has a collection of over 6,000 objects and artefacts, ranging from arts, masks, musical instruments, tools, fabrics, jewelry and weaponry. There are also cultural exhibits on traditional religion, female societal rites, and other traditional ceremonies. http://afrotourism.com/attraction/museu-nacional-de-antropologia-national-museum-of-anthropology/

This museum combines art and multimedia exhibits in tribute to the immortal character created by Miguel de Cervantes. The different exhibitions in the centre are dedicated to Cervantes' famous novel, Don Quixote. Here you can see a montage in which 10 characters from the novel have a conversation. http://www.spain.info/en_IN/que-quieres/arte/museos/ciudad_real/museo_del_quijote.html

Aveiro Museum is one of the centrepieces of this picturesque historical city in west-central Portugal. The museum encompasses the buildings of the Jesus Monastery, with its church, cloisters and other convent buildings, and was established as long ago as 1911. http://www.ezportugal.com/aveiro-portugal/attractions-aveiro-portugal/museum-aveiro-portugal

Created in 1916 and deeply remodelled between 2001 and 2003, Grão Vasco Museum was established in the Três Escalões Palace, next to the Viseu Cathedral, where the old seminary used to be. http://www.centerofportugal.com/grao-vasco-museum/

The Military Museum of Porto (Museu Militar do Porto) is housed in a 19th century building in the Bonfim district of Porto, in what was formerly the headquarters of the feared secret police - PIDE (Polícia Internacional e de Defesa do Estado) during the time of Salazar and the Estado Novo (New State). https://www.portugalvisitor.com/portugal-museums/porto-museumilitar

Madrid's Royal Palace was built in the 18th century by order of Philip V on the site of the old Alcázar fortress, a former Moorish castle. Sachetti began the works in 1738, and the building was completed in 1764. Sabatini designed the southeast wing and the great staircase, or staircase of honour. It has a square floor plan with a large central courtyard. The Puerta del Príncipe gateway on the east side gives access to the central courtyard. The Sabatini and Campo del Moro Gardens are among the Palace's other attractions, as well as its several different façades. There is some debate as to its artistic style; it is thought by some experts to belong more to the Baroque, and by others to the Neo-classical style. Of particular note among its numerous rooms are the Royal Guards' Room, the Columns Room, the Hall of Mirrors and King Charles III's room. It also contains paintings by Velázquez, Goya, Rubens, El Greco and Caravaggio. http://www.spain.info/en/que-quieres/arte/monumentos/madrid/palacio_real.html

This gallery in Madrid has the most complete collection of Spanish painting from 11th-18th centuries, and numerous masterpieces by great universal artists such as El Greco, Velázquez, Goya, Bosch, Titian, Van Dyck and Rembrandt. The quality and variety of its collection makes the Prado one of the world's best-endowed museums. It combines a first-class collection of Spanish painting, the most important works of the Flemish and Italian schools, and various fine examples of the German, French and English schools. It is home to numerous masterpieces of universal art such as Las Meninas by Velázquez, the two Majas by Goya, Nobleman with his hand on his chest by El Greco, the Garden of Delights by Bosch, and The Three Graces by Rubens, among other priceless pieces. Although the museum was created to house primarily works of painting and sculpture, it also contains major collections of drawings, engravings, coins and medals, as well as items of clothing and decorative art. http://www.spain.info/en/que-quieres/arte/museos/madrid/museo_nacional_del_prado.html