Museo de las Cortes de Cádiz

About the museum

The museum was founded to commemorate the first centenary of the Cortes and the Constitution of 1812. On the initiative of mayor Cayetano del Toro, the town council bought two adjoining plots in 1909 and created the Museo Iconográfico e Histórico de las Cortes y Sitio de Cádiz, which opened on 5 October 1912. The building is the work of the architect Juan Cabrera Latorre, with a façade inspired by neoclassicism and ironwork inside, including an imperial staircase linking the two main rooms.

From 1964 to 1997 it operated as the Museo Histórico Municipal, and in 1997, ahead of the bicentenary of the Constitution, it recovered its original name. It is located on calle Santa Inés, next to the Oratorio de San Felipe Neri, seat of the Cortes. The most recent refurbishments have redistributed the collections and enlarged the rooms.

The collection is devoted to Cádiz during the Cortes and the War of Independence: weapons, medals, flags, portraits and paintings with views of the city. Its best-known piece is the model of Cádiz, commissioned by Charles III and made between 1777 and 1779 under the direction of the military engineer Alfonso Ximénez, in mahogany, cedar, ebony, ivory and silver details; it was restored between 2006 and 2011.

Highlights

• Model of Cádiz from 1777–1779, at an approximate scale of 1:250
• Canvas of the promulgation of the Constitution of 1812, by Salvador Viniegra
• Room on the Cortes de Cádiz and the Constitution of 1812
• Sala del Asedio (Siege Room) with uniforms, portraits and weapons of the War of Independence
• Stained-glass window of the main staircase (Mauméjean Hermanos, 1912)
• Free admission

Permanent exhibitions

• Maqueta de Cádiz – Relief model of the walled city from around 1777–1779, commissioned by Charles III, with aerial views from the second floor and paintings of the city in different periods.
• Sala Cortes de Cádiz y Constitución de 1812 – Paintings of scenes from the period and portraits of deputies of the 1812 Cortes, including representatives of Spanish America, alongside the large canvas of the promulgation of the Constitution.
• Sala del Asedio – Devoted to the defence of Cádiz and the Isla de León against the Napoleonic troops, with uniform models of the Voluntarios Distinguidos, portraits of the Junta Superior de Defensa and weapons of the conflict.

Founded

1912

Operated by

Ayuntamiento de Cádiz (Fundación Municipal de Cultura)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission.

Accessibility

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

The Cádiz tourism portal indicates adapted access and an adapted toilet.

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.