Museo Arqueológico y Etnológico de Córdoba

Museum in Córdoba

Patio Of Museo Arqueologico Y Etnologico De Cordoba, Spain
CC BY-SA 2.0 / Amelia Wells

The Museo Arqueológico y Etnológico de Córdoba or Archaeological and Ethnological Museum of Córdoba is a museum situated in Cordoba, Andalusia in Spain. It is located in a beautiful Renaissance Palace of Páez de Castillejo which dates back to the 16th century, and it is built on the remains on the old Roman theatre of the city.  The Archaeological and Ethnological Museum has eight halls and three courtyards, which display a wide range of exhibits found in Cordoba and the province, from different periods from the middle to late bronze age, to Roman culture, Visigothic art, and Islamic culture.

What does the Museum of Córdoba contain?

Some 33,500 inventoried pieces are preserved in the museum, ranging from Prehistory to the Late Middle Ages.

The exhibition is structured in three thematic blocks, as follows:

  • Córdoba and its territory
    • The exhibition begins with an introduction to the evolution of the territory of Córdoba, from the early Prehistory to the arrival of the Renaissance.
  • Córdoba, power and centrality
    • Before Córdoba – it covers the Prehistory and Protohistory of the province before the Roman foundation.
    • Colonia Patricia Corduba – is the section dedicated to Roman Córdoba
    • Córdoba, between Rome and Islam – is dedicated to the Visigothic period and deals with the transformation processes of the city in the first medieval centuries
    • Qurtuba – reflects the Islamic city, the process of Islamization and the symbols of the Islamic state
    • Córdoba of the Late Middle Ages – is the module dedicated to the Christian reconquest of 1236, in which the province and the city slowly transform.
  • Living in Córdoba –  Located on the ground floor, it shows three different aspects of private life, religious beliefs and leisure.
    • The House – Three showcases collect everyday objects that were part of the trousseau of the Iberian, Roman and Andalusian houses.
    • Religious beliefs – A complex and exciting world is represented here that is very well characterized in the archaeological record.
    • Leisure and shows – is the last theme of the exhibition. It shows, on the one hand, the public nature of fun in Rome, and on the other hand, the intimacy of play and leisure in Islamic culture.

History of the Museum

In 1844 all the works seized from convents in Córdoba were gathered and deposited in the Provincial Museum of Fine Arts, constituting the “Antiques Collection”. The Museum of Fine Arts, had a number of different sites until it was finally located in the old Hospital of Charity, in Potro Square, which is its current location and was officially opened in 1867 and shared space with the Museum of Fine Arts until 1920.

In 1960 the museum was finally set in the Renaissance Palace of Páez de Castillejo, and two years later, both the building and the collection were declared “Artistic Historical Monument”. Since then, the Archaeological Museum of Córdoba has consolidated as one of the most complete museums of this kind in Spain.

In January 2011, a new building adjacent to the existing one was opened. This expansion, in a contemporary architectural design, perfectly complements the Renaissance Palace of Jerónimo Páez. The new building offers modern, attractive and functional museum spaces, which meet the Archaeological Museum of Cordoba’s growing demand for space and services to help it occupy the place it deserves in today’s society.

How to get to the Museo Arqueológico y Etnológico de Córdoba

The Archaeological and Ethnological Museum of Córdoba is located near the old historical center of the city. The main entrance is in Jerónimo Páez Square, close to Rey Heredia Street, which connects the Jewish Quarter and from which we can get there easily. Another way would be from San Fernando Street, going through Arco del Portillo until Séneca Square, to the rear of the museum.

By Bus: The following bus lines will take you by the Museo Arqueológico y Etnológico de Córdoba: 1, 3, 4, 7, 12 and 16.

The Museo Arqueológico y Etnológico de Córdoba appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Córdoba!

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Visiting Museo Arqueológico y Etnológico de Córdoba

Hours:

9am-8pm Tue-Sat & 9am-3pm Sun mid-Sep–mid-Jun, 9am-3pm Tue-Sun mid-Jun–mid-Sep


Price:

E.U. citizens free, all others 1.50 EUR

Address: Palacio de los Paez de Castillejos Plaza de Jerónimo Páez, 7 14003 Córdoba Spain
Telephone: +34 957 35 55 17
Duration: 1 hours
Official Website

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