On this visit we decided to visit two remarkable museums in Burgos which we had not previously seen, and both were rewarding in different ways.
The Museum of Burgos
Today The Museum of Burgos is situated opposite the market in the south of the town. It was started with the seizure of church property under Mendizabal in the 1830s and initially consisted entirely of art. The collection was housed in different locations but finally moved to the Casa of Miranda in 1955.
The Casa of Miranda is a 16th century mansion and houses the prehistory and archaeology sections. In 1986 the state bought the adjacent Casa de Inigo Angulo, a mansion dating from 1547 by Juan de Vallejo, and this houses the art. There are plans to expand further into the Casa Melgosa, another 16th century building.
Fine art in the Museum of Burgos
There are nine rooms in the art section and works of art from the post-Visigoth period to contemporary times. One needs to pay regular visits to take it all in. However, even in a short visit it was instructive to notice the change from art which focussed entirely on religious themes to that of a secular nature.
This extraordinary carrying case made of ivory dates from the 10th century and came from Medina Azahara, the city which Abd-Al Rahman III built outside Cordoba. it was previously held in the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos.
the Monastery of Santa Maria la Real de Vilena
We noticed this painting of the Retiro in Madrid but couldn’t relate it to our visit two years ago.
Archaeology in the Museum of Burgos
This sections is held in eight rooms and there is everything from skeletons to ‘interesting’ Roman ornaments!
Models of Clunia which was one of the most important Roman cities in the north of Spain, and on the road from Zaragoza to Astoria. And the theatre seems to used for live performances today!
The Military Museum
The Military Museum is on the route of the Camino through the town. It is in the building of the General Captaincy, and the headquarters of the troops during the Civil War of 1936-39, and where peace was finally declared.
The entrance hall is very impressive, particularly the ceiling. The door into the museum is at the far end.
There is an interesting model of the castle which, sadly, was closed for restoration and so we did not visit. Maybe next time?
There were also some remarkable small figures showing the military parade in the town. There are apparently nearly 5,000 of these small figures!
Military exhibits are not really my ‘thing’ but what I did notice was just how cumbersome and heavy these weapons must be, and how difficult it must have been to manoeuvre them on the battlefield.
The two museums in Burgos are well worth visiting, and very quiet – we were the only visitors at the time and so the staff are more than happy to talk!