Museo de la Festa
Municipal museum housed in the Gothic hermitage of San Sebastián, presenting the Misteri d’Elx, a sacred drama listed by UNESCO as World Heritage.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo de la Festa opened on 4 August 1997 as part of the events of the city’s Bimillennium, and the Generalitat Valenciana officially recognised it as a museum in 2000. It was created so that people visiting Elche outside the dates of the performance could learn about the Misteri d’Elx, a sung work of medieval origin that is staged every year in the basilica of Santa María and which UNESCO proclaimed a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001. The Patronato del Misteri d’Elx collaborated in setting it up.
The museum occupies the hermitage of San Sebastián, a Gothic temple in the Catalan style built in 1489, which was the seat of the brotherhood responsible for organising the Misteri until 1609 and ceased to be a place of worship in 1936. It also occupies part of the Casa de la Festa, a building erected in 1988 and extended in 1992 as the seat of the Patronato del Misteri, on the site of the city’s former hospital.
The visit combines an audiovisual with special effects, which explains the origin, artistic values and religious and popular roots of the Festa, with an exhibition of panels, photographs, posters, singers’ costumes, musical instruments, models and pieces of the stage machinery. On the upper floor there is a documentation centre for researchers.
Highlights
- Audiovisual on the Misteri d’Elx inside the Gothic hermitage of San Sebastián (1489)
- Singers’ costumes, musical instruments and models of the basilica and of the stage machinery
- Recreation of the appearance of the Nube or Granada, the aerial device of the performance
- Tactile panels and Braille texts for blind visitors
- Documentation centre on the Festa on the upper floor
Permanent exhibition
- Colección permanente del Museo de la Festa – Audiovisual on the Misteri d’Elx and an exhibition of singers’ costumes, instruments, models and pieces of the stage machinery of the performance.
- Founded
- 1997
- Operated by
- Ayuntamiento de Elche
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €1.50Carnet Jove holders, pensioners and large families |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 5 · Free admission for children under 6. |
| Seniors | €1.50Pensioners. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –Free admission for people with disabilities or reduced mobility. |
| Students & apprentices | €1Students: €1. |
| Groups (15+ people) | €1 per personGroups of at least 15 people, with prior booking. |
| Museum pass (all municipal museums of Elche) | €8Sold at any municipal museum in the city. |
Free admission: Every Sunday
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Multimedia screen with tactile panels and Braille texts for blind visitors. Free admission for people with disabilities or reduced mobility.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|
School groups are regular visitors to the museum. Free admission for children under 6.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
Small shop with souvenirs related to the Misteri and the Virgen de la Asunción, as well as books, CDs and DVDs about the Festa.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Groups of at least 15 people must book in advance. |
|---|
