Casa-Museo de Lope de Vega

About the museum

The house on calle de Cervantes, in today's Barrio de las Letras, was built in 1578. Lope de Vega bought it in 1610 for 9,000 reales and lived there until his death in 1635. Here he wrote some of his best-known works, and here died his second wife, Juana de Guardo, his son Carlos Félix and Marta de Nevares, one of his great loves. The poet called it, with feigned modesty, “mi casilla” (my little house), although it was a notable building for its time. After his death it passed to his daughter Feliciana and then changed hands several times, undergoing various alterations.

In 1862 the Real Academia Española celebrated there the third centenary of Lope's birth, and from then on wanted to turn the house into a museum. It achieved this in 1931, when the owner, Antonia García, widow of Cabrejo, appointed the Academy as patron of the foundation she created for that purpose. The architects Emilio Moya and Pedro Muguruza directed the restoration, and in 1935, on the 300th anniversary of the writer's death, the house was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument and opened as a museum. Between 1949 and 1959 the attic floor was fitted out.

Since 18 December 2007 it has been run by the Comunidad de Madrid, while ownership remains with the Real Academia Española. The museum reopened in early 2009. Some rooms retain their original structure, while others were recreated from the poet's work and historical research: study, estrado (reception room), oratory, dining room, bedrooms, kitchen, and a vegetable garden with a garden. The pieces come from deposits of the Madres Trinitarias, the Museo del Prado, the Museo Arqueológico Nacional and the Biblioteca Nacional, as well as donations.

Highlights

• House of 1578 where Lope de Vega lived between 1610 and 1635
• Recreated rooms: study, estrado, oratory, dining room, bedrooms and kitchen
• Orchard and garden tended by the poet, with a laurel donated by the Álvarez Quintero brothers
• Portrait of Lope de Vega, Golden Age furniture and objects
• Free admission with a guided tour of about 35 minutes

Permanent exhibition

• Casa-museo de Lope de Vega – Guided tour through the recreated rooms of the writer's house and through its orchard and garden, with artworks, furniture and Golden Age books.

Founded

1935

Operated by

Comunidad de Madrid (titularidad de la Real Academia Española)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission to the museum and all its activities; advance booking is essential.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description

Because of the features of this 17th-century house, access to the upper floors is impossible for most people with physical disabilities and difficult for those with reduced mobility; access to the garden has three steps and is not possible by wheelchair. The temporary exhibitions and the performances in the multipurpose room have no barriers. There is an adapted toilet, an induction loop at the information desk, sign-language guides, signed visits with an in-house interpreter, a leaflet in Braille and in easy-read format, descriptive visits, and the tactile visit “El museo en tus manos” for small groups of five people. 10% of the places in activities are reserved for people with disabilities and a companion. There is also a virtual visit.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The museum runs family workshops (for example, writing with ink and quill for children from age 6 accompanied by adults), by prior booking, as well as performances and visits for all audiences.

Getting there & parking

Nearby BiciMAD stations: calle de Jesús (no. 27) and plaza de Santa Ana (no. 52).

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit