Museo de Escultura Ursi
Museum in Aguilar de Campoo with some 160 wooden and bronze sculptures by the self-taught sculptor Ursi, beside the Arco de la Tobalina.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum is devoted to Ursicino Martínez Montiel, known as Ursi, a self-taught sculptor born in Villabellaco on 20 June 1932 and died in Palencia on 7 January 2007. He worked as a miner in Barruelo de Santullán from 1950, emigrated to Brazil in 1960, returned to Spain in 1971 and from around 1980 devoted himself entirely to sculpture. He turned down a very high financial offer for his work because he wanted it to remain in Aguilar de Campoo.
The museum opened after his death, under an agreement between the Diputación de Palencia, the Aguilar de Campoo town council and the artist’s family. It occupies a rehabilitated building in the centre of the town, next to the Arco de la Tobalina, and spreads about 160 pieces across six rooms on four floors.
The collection includes the bronze miners of 1980, which present the workers with strength and dignity, and sculptures carved from the trunks of elms killed by Dutch elm disease (grafiosis), which gave a new life to discarded wood. Later his work became more playful and surreal, with sportsmen, a bull carved from a trunk, a chair with a bullfighter’s jacket or an open safe. As a complement to the visit there is the Senda del Escultor Ursi, a circular route with 30 pieces.
Highlights
- About 160 sculptures by Ursi in wood and bronze
- Bronze miners from 1980
- Works carved from trunks of elms affected by Dutch elm disease
- The sculptor’s playful and surrealist period
- Ideal complement: the Senda del Escultor Ursi
Permanent exhibition
- Esculturas de Ursi – Some 160 works in wood and bronze across six rooms, from the miners of 1980 to the playful and surrealist pieces of his last period.
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €2 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €1.50 |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 12 · Free admission up to age 12. |
| Groups | €1.50 per person |
General admission: €2. Reduced and group admission: €1.50.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
The museum is on Calle de la Constitución, beside the Arco de la Tobalina, in the centre of Aguilar de Campoo. The Senda del Escultor Ursi, a circular route with 30 pieces, has access points in Villabellaco, the Santullán valley and the Santuario del Carmen.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Visits are always arranged in advance by phone (979 122 963 or 620 732 400). |
