Museo de Bellas Artes de Sevilla

About the museum

The museum was created by Royal Decree of 16 September 1835 as a “museum of paintings”, with works from confiscated convents and monasteries. It was installed in the former Convent of La Merced Calzada, next to the square that now bears its name. The present building is due above all to the reform of the early 17th century, with designs by Juan de Oviedo and Juan de la Bandera presented in 1603. The church was completed in 1612, and the rest of the structure almost half a century later.

Since it opened as a museum, the building has undergone three major interventions: the restoration of arcades and cloisters between 1868 and 1898; the opening of the Patio de las Conchas and the move of the main façade to Calle Bailén between 1942 and 1945; and a complete rehabilitation between 1987 and 1993 to adapt it to current museographic requirements. Its three cloisters (del Aljibe, de los Bojes and Mayor), partly decorated with tiles from confiscated convents, and the imperial staircase form part of the route.

The collections come from the confiscations and from donations by Seville collectors such as Rafael González Abreu, José Gestoso and Andrés Parladé, to which recent acquisitions, deposits and donations have been added. The former conventual church is the most emblematic room: it brings together the large altarpieces by Herrera the Elder, Roelas and Zurbarán, and the set that Murillo painted for the Capuchin convent.

Highlights

• Murillo’s set for the Capuchin convent, in the former church
• Portrait of Jorge Manuel Theotocopuli, by El Greco
• Portrait of Cristóbal Suárez de Ribera, by Velázquez
• The Apotheosis of Saint Thomas Aquinas and Saint Hugh in the refectory, by Zurbarán
• The Temptations of Saint Jerome, by Valdés Leal
• Cloisters, courtyards and imperial staircase of the former convent

Permanent exhibition

• Colección permanente – Tour of painting and sculpture from medieval art to the 20th century, with Seville’s Baroque at its core and the former conventual church as the main room.

Founded

1835

Operated by

Junta de Andalucía (Consejería de Cultura y Deporte)

Director

María del Valme Muñoz Rubio

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free admission on 28 February (Andalusia Day), 18 May (International Museum Day), 27 September (World Tourism Day), 4 December (Andalusian Flag Day) and during the European Heritage Days.

General admission: €1.50. Free admission for accredited citizens of the European Union and for members of ICOM.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum has wheelchairs, lifts and adapted toilets, which can be requested at the ticket office or from security staff. Only guide dogs for blind people or people with severe visual impairment are admitted.

Kids & families

The museum offers educational programmes with scheduled activities, downloadable educational materials and the “Reto MBASe” for family and school audiences.

Getting there & parking

Nearby taxi ranks: Calle Marqués de Paradas, Plaza del Duque and Hotel Colón.

Amenities & dining

• Coat check

Visitors may not enter the galleries with backpacks or luggage (maximum dimensions 20 × 30 × 10 cm); there are lockers for storing them. Online museum shop.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The museum handles requests for the use of its spaces through a form.

Plan your visit