Museo del Vidrio de Santa Lucía
Glass museum and workshop in Cartagena with more than 200 pieces from the former Santa Lucía factory and glass-blowing demonstrations.
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About the museum
The museum preserves the memory of the Santa Lucía Glass and Crystal Factory, founded in Cartagena in 1834 under the direction of Tomás Valarino Gattorno. At its peak it employed almost 400 people and produced around 1,000 different items, from ordinary pressed glass to fine crystal with wheel engraving. The factory won the Gold Medal at the Madrid Exhibition of 1841 and the Grand Diploma of Honour in 1883.
The museum is run by the Asociación de Artesanos Vidrieros Santa Lucía, with the aim of rescuing and spreading the history of glass in Cartagena and of promoting artistic production in this material. On the upper floor, more than 200 pieces are displayed in 15 display cases, most of them from the old factory. In the furnace hall on the ground floor, a craftsman blows glass, and the traditional tools and machines are on show.
The exhibition explains how glass is made, how it is coloured, how it is shaped (pressing or blowing) and how it is decorated: hand painting, acid etching, cutting and guilloché.
Highlights
- More than 200 pieces from the former Santa Lucía factory (1834) in 15 display cases
- Glass-blowing demonstrations in the furnace hall
- Traditional tools and machines of the glassmakers
- Explanation of the colouring, shaping and decoration of glass
Permanent exhibitions
- Colección de la antigua fábrica de Santa Lucía – More than 200 pieces in 15 display cases showing the history of glass and its shaping and decoration techniques.
- Nave de hornos – Workshop on the ground floor where a craftsman blows glass, with the traditional tools and machines.
- Founded
- 2011
- Operated by
- Asociación de Artesanos Vidrieros Santa Lucía
Admission & discounts
| Guided morning visit with glass-blowing demonstration (MUVI Open Studios, 2025) | €42025 price; advance booking required; duration about three hours. |
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No current admission fee has been found. The evening concerts of MUVI Open Studios (2025) were free admission until capacity was reached.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
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.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
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| Good to know | Guided visits must be booked via the museum’s website. In 2025 the MUVI Open Studios sessions took place on the fourth Saturday of each month (morning visit at 11:30 and concert at 18:30). |
