History, art and culture in Malaga

View of Alcazaba

The Costa del Sol in the province of Malaga is one of the most popular areas in Spain. Malaga is the capital of this area with a high concentration of wealth in history, culture and art. Whatever the direction you take in the city, you will find the ruins, art and history that date back hundreds of years. Thanks to the vibrant nightlife of this Mediterranean city, you can get an idea of contemporary culture as well.

A monument to see in Malaga is the Alcazaba, a former Moorish palace of the XI century, surrounded by beautiful gardens and fountains leading to a close by Roman amphitheater. Nowadays it houses the Archaeological Museum. There you will find many fascinating exhibits showing pieces from other Mediterranean cultures and the Paleolithic times.

The Cathedral of Malaga is an important milestone in the area. This cathedral was founded by the Catholic Monarchs and took from 1528 to 1782 to be built and actually never has been completely finished.

Besides the museums and churches Malaga, Pablo Picasso’s birthplace in the Plaza de la Merced is another obligation on any sightseeing in the city. This famous artist was born in Malaga in 1881. You can see his birthplace, and as well visit the Picasso Museum which exhibits some of his works.

Like all Andalusian cities, Malaga is a very nice capital, both during day and night and especially when there is some traditional celebration, such as Epiphany, Easter or the Malaga fair during August. However, you do not have to wait for a celebration to experience the spirit of Malaga.

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Malaga, city of Museums on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea

Picasso birth house

Malaga, capital of the Costa del Sol situated on the shores of the mediterranean, is now a major economic centre for the country due to its port, international airport and high-speed rail station. It is also a cultural centre thanks to its great historical legacy.

Malaga in the beginning was founded by the Phoenicians and later belonged to the Roman Empire; it became the first industrial city in the country during the nineteenth century and between the 70′s and 80´s the city was leading the tourism boom.

The city now hosts more than 20 museums, mostly located in the historic centre. And because of its variety, there are many options to suit the tastes of all tourists. So when you are in Malaga take advantage of a car hire to visit the many museums and watch from religious art to modern art. For example, among the most important cultural sites of the city is the Picasso Museum which hosts over 200 artworks made ​​by the great painter throughout his life.

Malaga has the advantage of combining culture and museums with seaside promenades, historic downtown to enjoy a coffee on a terrace or go shopping in the pedestrian streets and dive into the nightlife, and this throughout the year thanks to its mild climate. Therefore, this charming town is ideal not only for a longer holiday but also for a weekend getaway.

If you are thinking about visiting Malaga, I recommend to check the useful information below:

• Malaga airport
• Malaga website
• Taxis and tours in Malaga

Thyssen Museum in Malaga

Francisco de Zurbarán, The Birth of the Virgin, c. 1625–1630, Pasadena, Norton Simon Museum (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Thursday March 24 2011, was inaugurated the Carmen Thyssen Museum Malaga, which can be visited free of charge from Friday 25 to Sunday 27.

The permanent collection consists of a total of 230 works from the Carmen Thyssen Collection, from the most famous Spanish painters of the nineteenth century, with special attention to the Andalusian painting. The Collection features artists such as Zurbarán, Sorolla, Zuloaga, Romero de Torres, Gomez Gil, Moreno Carbonero and Barron.

In addition to the permanent collection, this year the museum will have three temporary exhibitions:

• “From Picasso to Tàpies“: Spanish Painting of the twentieth century art by artists like Picasso, Torres-Garcia, Cossio, Saura and Tàpies, from April 11 onwards.
• “Monet: The house among roses“, which will focus on this painting by the French painter and which will be completed with works from the same period to reflect on the artist’s relationship with his garden.
• “Sorolla in Andalusia“, in November with 80 pieces of the mature work of the Valencian painter.

The Thyssen Museum is located in the fifteenth century palace Palacio de Villalon, in calle Compania in the historic centre of Malaga, just 500 meters from the Picasso Museum.

Opening hours:

• Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 8 pm.
• Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 9 pm.
• Closed Mondays.

 

Contemporary Art Center of Malaga – CAC Malaga

The CAC Malaga is located in the tenth position of the world’s most influential contemporary art museums in the ranking of the German magazine “Capital”.

The Contemporary Art Center of Malaga has several important exhibitions scheduled for 2011 and is expected to maintain and raise the level of exposures.

The budget handled by CAC one of the lowest in the country; with about 2.8 million Euros the center supports and exhibits works of contemporary artists and influential individual artists.

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Museums in Malaga

Image via Wikipedia

With over twenty museums, fifteen of them concentrated in one area, Malaga has become a true City of Museums. Only the old quarter will bring together, with the addition of new projects (Museum of Fine Arts) up to 24 museum spaces that make Malaga to one of the cities with the highest density of museums in its historical centre.

You can do themed tours or focus on the most important museums; certainly there are options for all tastes, from religious art to contemporary art, popular art or the interactive museum, while highlighting, obviously, the figure of Picasso represented by the Picasso Birthplace Museum and the Picasso Museum Malaga.

We would also like to mention the Art Natura Malaga, a large complex of cultural entertainment where sciences, arts, cultural performances and cuisine combine to surprise and entertain the whole family. These installations also hold the world’s largest permanent exposition of gemstones.

Art Natura is located in the emblematic and elegant complex of buildings of the former Tabacalera de Málaga, next to the sea, 10 minutes from Malaga airport and the historical center and 5 minutes from the city railway station, easily accessible from anywhere in the Costa del Sol.

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The Picasso Museum Malaga received in 2010 over 345,000 visits

Home where Picasso was born in Malaga

The Picasso Museum Malaga recorded in 2010 a total of 345,742 visits and more than 6,600 participants in its program of cultural activities. The number of visits reflects an increase of around 6 per cent over the previous year.

Soon the museum will present his artistic program for 2011, which will continue the series of exhibitions and activities that make MPM a living space for art and culture in Malaga.

The intense activity of the Picasso Museum in 2010 aroused the interest of more than 345,000 citizens and visitors who came to the Palacio de Buenavista to see the work of Pablo Picasso, shown this year in different displays. Also, the exhibitions opened in 2010 received a great reception by the public.

According to surveys conducted by the Museum, about 65 percent of visits were from people not resident in Spain. Among these, the main countries of origin were the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Netherlands and the United States.

When asked about the main reason for their visit to Malaga, 45.2 percent referred to the cultural attractions of the area in general, while 17.8 said to enjoy the good weather and the beaches of Andalusia. About 60 percent had planned to visit the Picasso Museum before traveling to the city.

Apart from the number of visits to the Picasso Collection and temporary exhibitions, the cultural programs and activities developed during 2010 recorded more than 6,600 participants attending the lectures, concerts, poetry readings, theater workshops for families and seminaries which were held within the grounds of the Museum.

In musical terms, the Malaga Picasso Museum collaborated with the Malaga Philharmonic Orchestra to perform at the Auditorium the IV MPM Chamber Concert Series, which began last September and runs until May 2011.

Also linked to music, received a great welcome the continued cycle Flamenco in Picasso and Jazz in Picasso, which aroused great expectation among the fans of this genre.

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