Museo Salzillo

The Museo Salzillo in Murcia is a single-artist museum devoted to the work of the Baroque sculptor Francisco Salzillo. It stands on the central Plaza de San Agustín and incorporates the historic Iglesia de Jesús, which has served as the private chapel of the local brotherhood since the end of the 17th century. The idea of founding a museum first arose in the 19th century, but it was not officially established by the Ministry of Education until 1941. After extensive renovation and expansion work in the 1950s, it opened in 1960 and was declared a historic art monument in 1962. Since then, it has been one of the most visited cultural sites in the region.

The architecture of the complex combines a modern 21st-century museum building with the Baroque church. You walk through bright, whitewashed rooms filled with natural light before entering the circular nave of the church, which impresses with its original architecture and 18th-century wall paintings. Inside the church are the brotherhood's famous processional figures, including scenes such as the Last Supper, the Flagellation, and the Carrying of the Cross, which are traditionally carried through the city on Good Friday. Another highlight is the large Salzillo nativity ensemble of 556 terracotta figures, created between 1776 and 1800.

Besides Salzillo's works, the museum also houses a significant collection of Neapolitan nativity figures made between about 1725 and 1790. This collection comprises more than six hundred pieces, including masterpieces by the sculptor Giuseppe Sanmartino, and presents a mix of courtly splendor and everyday folk scenes of the 18th century. Your visit leads through several stations, from the artist's biography and a reconstruction of a Baroque studio to an audiovisual presentation. Temporary exhibitions and an educational workshop are also available, rounding out the experience for visitors of all ages.