Museo Nacional de Ceramica (National Museum of Ceramics), Valencia (must see)
Housed in one of Valencia鈥檚 most extravagant landmarks, the National Museum of Ceramics finds its home in the Palace of the Marquis of Dos Aguas鈥攁n 18th-century Baroque marvel wrapped in layers of ornate fantasy. The entrance alone stops visitors in their tracks: carved from alabaster, it鈥檚 part religious homage, part architectural wordplay. Above the door, a depiction of the Virgin Mary gives way to symbolic imagery drawn from the marquis鈥� title, 鈥淒os Aguas鈥� or 鈥淭wo Waters.鈥� Flanking the doorway, semi-nude male figures recline as water pours from urns, representing the Turia and J煤car rivers, surrounded by swirling vines and lavish vegetation.
Step beyond that theatrical fa莽ade, and the interior more than lives up to expectations. Even if ceramics aren鈥檛 your passion, there鈥檚 plenty here to captivate. The palace rooms themselves are a sensory feast鈥攃olumns twisted with golden grapevines, cherubs, and pink cornices set the tone. One of the highlights is the Carriage of the Nymphs, a real-life Cinderella coach, dripping in ornamental excess. The collection doesn鈥檛 stop there鈥攊t sprawls into canopied beds, antique furniture, rare bookplates, vintage posters, photographs, sketches, jewellery, and memorabilia tied to famed Valencians.
As for the ceramics themselves, the museum holds around 5,000 pieces. The timeline spans from prehistoric and Roman fragments to Eastern imports and striking works by Picasso. Among the finest are medieval pieces from nearby ceramic-making towns, known for their vivid greens, blues, and metallic glazes. Perhaps the most beloved exhibit is a fully reconstructed 19th-century Valencian kitchen, richly tiled and brimming with scenes of daily life鈥攃omplete with images of food and animals.
Step beyond that theatrical fa莽ade, and the interior more than lives up to expectations. Even if ceramics aren鈥檛 your passion, there鈥檚 plenty here to captivate. The palace rooms themselves are a sensory feast鈥攃olumns twisted with golden grapevines, cherubs, and pink cornices set the tone. One of the highlights is the Carriage of the Nymphs, a real-life Cinderella coach, dripping in ornamental excess. The collection doesn鈥檛 stop there鈥攊t sprawls into canopied beds, antique furniture, rare bookplates, vintage posters, photographs, sketches, jewellery, and memorabilia tied to famed Valencians.
As for the ceramics themselves, the museum holds around 5,000 pieces. The timeline spans from prehistoric and Roman fragments to Eastern imports and striking works by Picasso. Among the finest are medieval pieces from nearby ceramic-making towns, known for their vivid greens, blues, and metallic glazes. Perhaps the most beloved exhibit is a fully reconstructed 19th-century Valencian kitchen, richly tiled and brimming with scenes of daily life鈥攃omplete with images of food and animals.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Valencia. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "911爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Museo Nacional de Ceramica (National Museum of Ceramics) on Map
Sight Name: Museo Nacional de Ceramica (National Museum of Ceramics)
Sight Location: Valencia, Spain (See walking tours in Valencia)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Valencia, Spain (See walking tours in Valencia)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Valencia, Spain
Create Your Own Walk in Valencia
Creating your own self-guided walk in Valencia is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Valencia's Classical Architecture Tour
In Valencia, the architecture tells you right away鈥攖his city has layers. It's not just a coastal getaway with sunshine and beaches. Beneath the bright skies, 鈥淪pain鈥檚 Third Capital鈥� reveals a blend of styles both rich and unexpected鈥攁t once bold in contrast and delicate in detail. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Old Town, where nearly every corner seems to offer a visual... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.3 Km or 2.1 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.3 Km or 2.1 Miles
Old Town Walking Tour
Valencia鈥檚 Old Town stands apart from many in Europe for how effortlessly its many layers of history coexist. Beneath modern squares, ancient Roman streets and forum remains lie quietly preserved. The maze-like layout鈥攕haped during the city鈥檚 Islamic period鈥攚as never swept away after the Christian Reconquest. Instead, it survived and evolved, now lined with Gothic churches and Baroque... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Valencia Introduction Walking Tour
Valencia, Spain鈥檚 third-largest city, carries a rich history that stretches back to 138 BC, when it was founded as a Roman colony for battle-tested veterans. Known then as 鈥淰alentia鈥�, meaning 鈥渧alor,鈥� it honored the courage of its first inhabitants. The city was destroyed in 75 BC by Pompey the Great but was rebuilt within a century, eventually becoming home to Visigoths and later the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.2 Km or 2 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.2 Km or 2 Miles
Contemporary Architecture Walk
With one foot in the past and the other one in the future, it is hard to find a European city more architecturally intriguing than Valencia. Among the multitude of styles, Valencia particularly excels at the cutting-edge contemporary architecture. She owes it to her own born and bred architect, Santiago Calatrava, renowned for his hyper-modern-surreal designs.
In the course of nearly two... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles
In the course of nearly two... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles