Museo Ramón Gaya

About the museum

The Museo Ramón Gaya occupies Casa Palarea, a 19th-century building of the Murcian bourgeoisie on the Plaza de Santa Catalina, in the heart of the city. It was commissioned in 1860 by Mariano Palarea from the architect Justo Millán, and it retains its sober façade, its balconies, the grilles known as “buche de paloma” (pigeon’s crop), the mirador (lookout) and the main staircase.

The Ayuntamiento de Murcia bought the building to house the collection donated by the painter and writer Ramón Gaya and his wife, Isabel Verdejo. The renovation was carried out by the municipal architect Miguel Ángel Beloqui, and the museum opened on 10 October 1990, the anniversary of Gaya’s birth. The Mosque of Al Cartayani once stood on the same square.

The museum holds more than 550 works by the painter, as well as works by his contemporaries such as Juan Bonafé, Luis Garay, Joaquín, Pedro Flores and Cristóbal Hall. It is organised over four floors. In the permanent collection, arranged chronologically, the first floor covers his youth, the avant-gardes, the Misiones Pedagógicas and the Civil War, and his exile in Mexico; the second floor shows his return to Europe, a recreation of his house-studio and the room “Un pintor que escribe” (A Painter Who Writes). In addition, the museum organises temporary exhibitions, lectures, workshops and publications.

Highlights

• More than 550 works by Ramón Gaya
• Permanent collection in chronological order
• Recreation of the painter’s house-studio
• Gaya copies from the Museo Circulante of the Misiones Pedagógicas
• Works by Pedro Flores, Luis Garay and Juan Bonafé
• Casa Palarea, a 19th-century building

Permanent exhibitions

• Colección permanente de Ramón Gaya – Chronological route through the painter’s life and work, from his youth and the avant-gardes to his exile in Mexico, his return to Europe and his final years.
• Casa-estudio de Ramón Gaya – Recreation on the second floor of the painter’s personal and creative surroundings.
• Un pintor que escribe – Room on the second floor devoted to the literary side of Ramón Gaya.

Founded

1990

Operated by

Fundación Museo Ramón Gaya y Ayuntamiento de Murcia

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission to the museum.

Accessibility

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

The museum is accessible for people with physical disabilities, and the route through the interior can be made in a wheelchair, although as the building is old some spaces have reduced mobility. Access is via the main lobby or the side entrance on Calle Marquesa, from where the lift serves the first and second floors of the permanent collection. All information texts are planned to be available in Braille. Only guide dogs are admitted as animals.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The museum organises activities for families and children, such as musical storytelling, children’s painting workshops and talks for children, according to its monthly programme.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Coat check
• Lockers

Lockers at the entrance for backpacks, umbrellas, bags and parcels larger than 28 × 36 cm. The museum is a Refugio Climático (climate refuge) in the network of municipal spaces. Food and drink may not be consumed inside.

Events & venue rental

As far as we know, the museum does not rent out spaces for external events.

The museum does not lend or rent its rooms for exhibitions outside its official programme.

Plan your visit