Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP SIGHT
MUSEU FREDERIC MARÈS
One of the wildest collections of historical curios lies inside this vast medieval com-
plex, once part of the royal palace of the counts of Barcelona. A rather worn coat of
arms on the wall indicates that it was also, for a while, the seat of the Spanish Inquisi-
tion in Barcelona.
Frederic Marès i Deulovol (1893-1991) was a rich sculptor, traveller and obsessive
collector. He specialised in medieval Spanishsculp
ulpttuure, huge quantities of which are
displayed in the basement and on the ground and 1st floors - including some lovely
polychrome wooden sculptures of the Crucifixion and the Virgin. Among the most
eye-catching pieces is a reconstructed Romanesque doorway with four arches, taken
from a 13th-century country church in the Aragonese province of Huesca.
The top two floors comprise''tthe c
s caabiinett'', a mind-boggling array of
knick-knacks: medieval weaponry, finely carved pipes, delicate ladies' fans, intricate
'floral' displays made of seashells, and 19th-century daguerreotypes and photo-
graphs. A room that once served as Marès'sttudy
e colle
ollecttorr''s c
udyand library is now crammed with
sculpture. The shady courtyard houses a pleasant summercaffe(Cafè de l'Estiu), well
worth a visit after browsing the collections.
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