Ciudadela de Celestino Solar
Museum in a 19th-century workers' citadel in Gijón, with a recreated dwelling and testimonies from former residents.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Ciudadela de Celestino Solar, also known as the Ciudadela de Capua, was built in the late 1870s by the indiano Celestino González Solar (a returnee who had made his fortune in the Americas), who had come back from Cuba, within the Plan de Ensanche del Arenal de San Lorenzo. It was the best known of the more than two hundred citadels Gijón once had, and it comprised some twenty-four ground-floor houses, arranged in four rows around two courtyards, each of less than 36 m².
The houses had neither running water nor sewerage; toilets and other services were shared and located in the courtyard. Working-class families from Gijón lived there until the site was emptied in the last decades of the 20th century. In 1959 a construction company bought the land to demolish it, but delays in the expropriations saved it.
Today a row of restored houses hosts a permanent exhibition with panels, period documents, photographs and audiovisuals featuring testimonies from former residents, as well as a recreation of the interior of a workers' dwelling. In the open-air museum, walls and remains of the original floor are preserved, and the access alley has large murals by the cartoonist Neto. There are also temporary exhibitions and activities.
Highlights
- Workers' citadel dating from 1870, with original courtyards and dwellings
- Recreation of the interior of a working-class house
- Audiovisuals with testimonies from former residents
- Murals by the cartoonist Neto in the access alley
- Free admission, with no booking required for general visits
Permanent exhibition
- Exposición permanente de la Ciudadela – Panels, documents, photographs and audiovisuals with testimonies from former residents, and a recreation of the interior of a workers' dwelling in a row of restored houses.
- Founded
- 2003
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free admission; no booking required for general visits.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
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
| Good to know | Pets are not admitted. At certain times of the year the city council runs guided and commented visits with prior registration. |
|---|
