Seville Museums: A Complete Guide

Seville museums cover a wide range of subjects, from paintings to archeological pieces and even our most famous art, flamenco.

Unfortunately, sometimes visitors underestimate the city's museums either because nobody told them about or because they are short of time. In my opinion, you should take a closer look to some of them and allow some time in your schedule to visit them if it is possible.

In the following paragraphs you'll find practical information you need to know about each museum in Seville (opening hours, fares, address, website, etc.), a brief description and my recommendations. Enjoy!

Seville museums - Museo de Bellas Artes (Museum of Fine Arts)

The Museo de Bellas Artes is one of the most important art museums in Spain, probably the second one after El Museo del Prado in Madrid. It exhibits the most famous paintings of the Seville School (15th to 17th centuries) featuring an impressive collection of works by Murillo, Vales Leal, Zurbaran and El Greco among others.

It was inaugurated in the middle of the 19th century although the original building was a convent.

The best option is to visit the rooms from the ground floor and then go up to the upper level, starting chronologically with the paintings and sculptures from the 15th century. The gallery (room V) devoted to Murillo is the old church of the convent.

Not to miss:
1. The building itself, the renovation works and the architecture are absolutely delightful
2. "San Hugo en el refectorio de los Cartujos", painted by Zurbaran (around 1635)
3. "Jorge Manuel portrait", painted by El Greco (around 1600)

Seville museums - Museo Arqueologico (Archaeological Museum)

This museum began in the mid-19th century exhibiting several private collections and was later on moved to its present location in 1946. The initial collection was comprised of church properties confiscated in the 19th century and from the Italica excavations. Throughout the years, it has grown considerably and it now covers the period from the Roman Empire to the Middle Age (15th century).

The building was the Renaissance Pavillion during the Ibero-American Exposition that took place in 1929.

Not to miss:
1. The building's façade
2. The Carambolo treasure
3. Diana's sculpture
4. The mosaic of Bacchus' triumph (my favorite one!)

Seville museums - Museo de Artes y Costumbres (Museum of Arts and Customs)

The museum displays a collection of traditional clothing and decorative arts representing the culture of Andalucia and the everyday life. There is also a great collection of posters of the Feria de Abril (Seville's Spring Fair) from the early 20th century.

The building is known as the Pabellon Mudejar and was also a permanent pavilion for the Ibero-American Exhibition in 1929. The Mudejar style is an architectural mixture of elements from the Muslim and Christian cultures very popular during the Middle Age (12th to 15th centuries) and present in many regions of Spain and buildings in Seville (the Alcazar of Seville and the Casa de Pilatos).

Not to miss:
1. Again, the building's façade
2. Traditional clothing wore at the Romerias (religious pilgrimage that ends at a sanctuary)

Not so cool:
The first floor is currently closed due to renovations

Seville museums - Museo del Baile Flamenco (Flamenco Dance Museum)

This museum is created thanks to the initiative of the famous flamenco dancer Cristina Hoyos and it opened its doors in 2006. The most important spaces are the ground floor, with a typical patio and the first floor where you can learn the origin and history of flamenco, the different styles and the biography of some amazing bailaores (both male and female).

The museum offers also the chance to attend a real flamenco lesson (10 euros/lesson Monday to Thursday) and workshops. You should give it a try. Maybe there's a real artist the world hasn't discovered yet!

The museum organizes evening shows every day except on Sunday. The show starts at 7pm (Monday to Thursday) and at 7.30pm (Friday & Saturday) and it lasts around 45 minutes.

The fares are:

• Show: 15 euros (Monday to Thursday) or 23 euros (Friday & Saturday)
• Show + museum ticket: 20 euros (Monday to Thursday) or 28 euros (Friday & Saturday)
• Show + museum ticket + class: 28 euros (Monday to Thursday)

Not to miss:
The show is great, colorful and very representative. It is flamenco, for real! Plus you can get it with your museum ticket for only 20 euros, not expensive at all.

Not so cool:
Museum ticket overpriced

Seville museums - Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporaneo (Andalusian Contemporary Art Centre)

The Contemporary Art Centre has a permanent collection focused in particular on the history of contemporary Andalusian art. Temporary exhibitions, seminars, workshops, concerts, meetings, recitals, film cycles and lectures are also held at the museum.

The building used to be the Santa Maria de las Cuevas Monastery, one of the most important monasteries of the city. It was built in the 15th century and housed the cloistered order of Saint Bruno. In 1840 the abandoned building was bought by an Englishman and transformed into a ceramic tile factory until 1982. Finally, in 1997 it became the museum we can see today.

Not to miss:
The cloister
The chimneys

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