Museum of Caceres
The Museum of Caceres was inaugurated in 1933 and occupies two palace houses. The Palace of the Veletas is a building, dating from the 15th century and located in the Monumental City, that contains an important collection of ethnographic and archaeological pieces, while the House of Horses has, since 1992, housed the Fine Arts collection.
The Palace of the Veletas is a unique building because it is the only one built without a defensive purpose. It is clearly for civilian use. Its current design is the work of Lorenzo de Ulloa y Torres, who subjected it to extensive reform 1600. In the 18th century, the house was reformed by Jorge de Caceres y Quiñones.
On the main doorway, two huge Baroque heraldic heraldics stand out that present flown crowns and are clear references to the lineages from Caceres, such as the Ulloa or the Torres. The most characteristic element of its façade, in addition to the statue of the Androgynous Genius at the main entrance to the museum, is its balustrade with ceramic pinnacles and gargoyles on which were once the weathervanes that give the palace its name.
In addition to its works of art and its many relics and artifacts, the real attraction of this museum is the cistern. It has an irregular floor plan and was largely excavated in the rock. The cistern has ample dimensions of 10 meters wide by 15 meters long and 16 horseshoe-shaped arches supported by a dozen columns, some of them of Roman origin.
Due to its spectacular state of preservation and imposing size, this cistern is considered among the most important in all of Europe, surpassed only by that of Constantinople.
The Palace of the Veletas is a unique building because it is the only one built without a defensive purpose. It is clearly for civilian use. Its current design is the work of Lorenzo de Ulloa y Torres, who subjected it to extensive reform 1600. In the 18th century, the house was reformed by Jorge de Caceres y Quiñones.
On the main doorway, two huge Baroque heraldic heraldics stand out that present flown crowns and are clear references to the lineages from Caceres, such as the Ulloa or the Torres. The most characteristic element of its façade, in addition to the statue of the Androgynous Genius at the main entrance to the museum, is its balustrade with ceramic pinnacles and gargoyles on which were once the weathervanes that give the palace its name.
In addition to its works of art and its many relics and artifacts, the real attraction of this museum is the cistern. It has an irregular floor plan and was largely excavated in the rock. The cistern has ample dimensions of 10 meters wide by 15 meters long and 16 horseshoe-shaped arches supported by a dozen columns, some of them of Roman origin.
Due to its spectacular state of preservation and imposing size, this cistern is considered among the most important in all of Europe, surpassed only by that of Constantinople.
Location
What to see in Caceres
