Museo de Tudela

About the museum

The Museo de Tudela occupies the Palacio Decanal, the former residence of the deans of the Colegiata de Santa María. Construction began in 1477, and in the first quarter of the 16th century the dean Pedro de Villalón y Calcena, chamberlain of Pope Julius II, enlarged it and turned it into the city's main residence, where kings and popes stayed. When the diocese of Tudela was created in 1783, the collegiate church became a cathedral and the palace was reformed for the first bishop. It then remained largely abandoned until the 20th century, when ecclesiastical bodies occupied it, and at the end of that century it was completely restored.

The museum opened on 26 June 2000 in the oldest part of the palace. It is overseen by a commission made up of the Archdiocese of Pamplona and Tudela, the Tudela town council and the Government of Navarre. Its collection brings together sculpture, painting, goldsmith's work, liturgical vestments and altarpieces of local origin, as well as an archaeology room, open since June 2004, with finds from the Ribera de Navarra from prehistory to the Middle Ages. Highlights include an Islamic gilded lustreware ataifor (a shallow dish), oil paintings by the Baroque painter Vicente Berdusán, a sculptural group of Saint Anne by Ramón Amadeu and a Japanese namban-style chest.

The visit also includes the Romanesque cloister, built between 1180 and 1204, and gives access to the Cathedral of Santa María.

Highlights

• 15th-century Palacio Decanal with the coat of arms of Pope Julius II on the façade
• Romanesque cloister of 1180–1204 with historiated capitals
• Access to the Cathedral of Santa María from the museum
• Paintings by Vicente Berdusán, the great Navarrese Baroque painter
• Islamic gilded lustreware ataifor from the late 11th century
• Japanese namban chest from the cathedral and reliquary monstrance of Saint Anne

Permanent exhibitions

• Colección por salas – Sculpture, painting, goldsmith's work, liturgical vestments and altarpieces of local origin, displayed in the Zaguán, Escultura, Pintura and Orfebrería rooms.
• Sala de Arqueología – Finds from the Ribera de Navarra, from prehistory to the Middle Ages, with an Islamic gilded lustreware ataifor.
• Claustro románico – Cloister dating from the late 12th century, accessed from the museum, with arcades on double and triple columns and historiated capitals.

Founded

2000

Operated by

Comisión de seguimiento (Arzobispado de Pamplona y Tudela, Ayuntamiento de Tudela y Gobierno de Navarra)

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Wednesdays 17:00–19:00 (not for groups); 18 May, 27 September, 12 October, 3 and 6 December.

Free admission also for members of the association Amigos de la Catedral de Tudela with membership card.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Educational workshops throughout the year, aimed mainly at children, related to the museum's works, the cathedral and the cloister.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in a pedestrian zone of the historic centre: it can only be reached on foot, and visitors are advised to leave their vehicle in the designated car parks.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Shop selling items related to the museum and its activities.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit