Museo Ulpiano Checa
Museum devoted to the painter Ulpiano Checa in his birthplace in Colmenar de Oreja, with some 200 works.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Ulpiano Checa was born in Colmenar de Oreja in 1860 and trained at the Real Academia de San Fernando in Madrid. In 1884 he won a scholarship to Rome, where he painted works such as “La invasión de los bárbaros”, now in the Prado, which earned him medals at the National Exhibition of 1887 and the International Exhibition in Vienna in 1888. In 1901 he designed the set and costumes in Paris for the stage adaptation of “Quo Vadis?”.
The museum opened its doors in 1960 thanks to the generosity of the painter’s children, Carmen and Felipe Checa, in the so-called Casa de los Siete Patios, the artist’s birthplace. The building was extended for the first time in 1993 and again in 2009, adding almost a thousand square metres of new rooms.
Today close to 200 works are on display, including oil paintings, watercolours, sculptures and posters, acquired in the United Kingdom, France, Argentina, the United States, Australia, Norway and Spain. Later donations and deposits have made the museum the main repository of Checa’s work. Among the most outstanding pieces is the large canvas “Los últimos días de Pompeya”, measuring about 20 square metres. The works by the painter held by the Prado do not form part of this collection.
Highlights
- Birthplace of the painter, known as the Casa de los Siete Patios
- Some 200 works: oil paintings, watercolours, sculptures and posters
- Large canvas “Los últimos días de Pompeya”
- Rooms devoted to other local artists
- Audio guide and visits for groups
Permanent exhibition
- Colección Ulpiano Checa – Some 200 works by the painter (oil paintings, watercolours, sculptures and posters) spread across the rooms of the birthplace and its extensions.
- Founded
- 1960
- Operated by
- Ayuntamiento de Colmenar de Oreja
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5 |
| Groups (10+ people) | €6 per personVisit for groups of 10 to 30 people with prior booking; includes admission to the museum. |
Guided visits are offered only to groups with prior booking.
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 |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| Good to know | The museum offers an audio guide (link on the museum page). Guided visits are only for groups of 10 to 30 people and require prior booking; booking can also be made via WhatsApp. |
