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Museo Arqueologico Review

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Museo Arqueológico

Address: Calle Serrano 13, Salamanca, Madrid | Map It
Phone: 91/577-7912; 91/580-7823 library
man.mcu.es

Museum of Archaeology

Category: Museums/Galleries
Location: Salamanca and Retiro

Write a review | Avg. member rating: 1.8/5

Fodor's Review:

The biggest attraction here is a replica of the early cave paintings in Altamira. (Access to the real thing, in Cantabria Province, is highly restricted.) Also here, look for La Dama de Elche, a bust of a wealthy, 5th-century BC Iberian woman, and notice that her headgear is a rough precursor to the mantillas and hair combs still associated with traditional Spanish dress. The ancient Visigothic votive crowns are another highlight; discovered in 1859 near Toledo, they are believed to date back to the 8th century. The museum—now under renovation—shares its neoclassical building with the Biblioteca Nacional (National Library).

Cost: Free (while the renovations last)
Open: Museum Tues.-Sat. 9:30-8, Sun. 9:30-3. Library (now closed for renovations) weekdays 9-9, Sat. 9-2

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Member Reviews and Ratings

Reviewed by bachslunch from US on 2/5/08
This place was undergoing renovation when I went; among other things, their Roman and pre-history collections were not available. What little they had on display actually wasn't bad, the best being the Iberian sculpture and some of the artifacts taken from churches and mosques. The reconstruction of the Altamira cave paintings was lousy, too faint and badly lit to see anything. Pretty easy to get to from Retiro Park.