Cerralbo Museum is one of Madrid's many museums that should not be left off your “must visit” list. This collection, declared a historic artistic monument in 1962, is a true paradise for lovers of beauty. Paintings and drawings, carpets and tapestries, sculptures and figurines, coins and medals, clocks, weapons, and other works of art allow visitors to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of an aristocratic palace of the late 19th century.
The exceptionally rich collection was assembled by Don Enrique de Aguilera y Gamboa, the Marquis of Cerralbo (1845–1922). He traveled extensively throughout Europe, and on his trips he not only visited museums, but also acquired various art objects and works of art. The love of beauty that awakened in his youth never left Don Enrique until his very death, so he gladly turned his home into a museum, involving the whole family in the process. In his will, the marquis wrote that he was donating one part of the collection to the National Archaeological Museum, and the second part (together with the palace house) to the state.
The wife of Enrique de Aguilera y Gamboa and other family members donated funds for the founding of the museum, and in 1944 this building opened to visitors. The home of the noble Spaniard amazes with its number of diverse aesthetic objects and truly captivates with its beauty.
