Museo de las Ferias
Museum in the former church of San Martín, housing art and documents about the fairs of Medina del Campo and the merchant Simón Ruiz.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo de las Ferias is housed in the former church of San Martín in Medina del Campo, founded by the commander Pedro de Ribera and his wife María de Medina, courtiers of the Catholic Monarchs. The church already had its high chapel built in 1512 and was renovated several times until 1801. After a period of neglect in the 1970s and 1980s (20th century), the building was rehabilitated between 1990 and 1992, together with the adjoining Palacio de los Falces, for cultural uses. The exhibitions “Raíces y Efemérides” (1992) and “Mercaderes y Cambistas” (1998) paved the way for the museum, which opened in 2000.
The permanent collection takes as its thread the international fairs held in Medina del Campo in the 15th and 16th centuries, and shows the importance of trade for the economy, culture and art. In 2016 the display was renewed and structured into three chapters: the fairs of goods, the payment fairs with their financial operations, and the figure of the merchant Simón Ruiz. This renewal incorporated documents from the Simón Ruiz Archive, which had returned to Medina del Campo a year earlier to be managed by the foundation and which UNESCO inscribed in 2023 in the Memory of the World register.
Among the most outstanding pieces are a Pietà by Juan de Juni, a portrait of Simón Ruiz from the circle of Juan Pantoja de la Cruz, a processional monstrance by Cristóbal de Vergara and several money-changers' chests from the 17th to the 19th centuries.
Highlights
- Pietà by Juan de Juni (c. 1575)
- Portrait of Simón Ruiz, from the circle of Juan Pantoja de la Cruz
- Processional monstrance by Cristóbal de Vergara (c. 1560)
- Money-changers' chests from the 17th to the 19th centuries
- Mercantile documents from the Simón Ruiz Archive, UNESCO Memory of the World
Permanent exhibition
- Colección permanente: ferias, pagos y Simón Ruiz – Works of art, historical objects and original mercantile documents from the 15th to the 17th centuries, organised into fairs of goods, payment fairs and the figure of Simón Ruiz.
- Founded
- 2000
- Operated by
- Fundación Museo de las Ferias
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2Groups of 25 or more people, people over 65, members of museum friends' associations and holders of the Carnet Joven |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 9 · Children under 10 when accompanied: free admission. |
| Seniors | €2Over 65. |
| Groups (25+ people) | €2 per personGroups of 25 or more people. |
Free admission for unemployed people with accreditation, Friends of the Museo de las Ferias, holders of the Castilla y León Historical Heritage Card and members of professional museum associations.
Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided visits for groups must be arranged in advance. Some pieces carry QR codes that can be scanned with a mobile phone. |
