Cádiz Museum

The museum of Cadix

The museum of Cadix is one of the essential places to understand the three-thousand-year history of the town, installed on the Plaza de Mina in an elegant building of the nineteenth century. The Cadix audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this museum that shelters the famous Phoenician sarcophagi, unique in Spain, and a superb collection of baroque painting signed by Zurbarán and Murillo.

Three millennia of history in the heart of the town

Here you are in front of the museum of Cadix, one of the essential places to understand the history of the town. Installed on the Plaza de Mina in an elegant building of the nineteenth century, it presents a route that goes back to the very origins of Cadix. On the ground floor, you will discover its most famous pieces: the Phoenician anthropoid sarcophagi, unique in Spain. The first, found in 1887, represents a bearded man holding a pomegranate, symbol of eternal life; the second, discovered in 1980, is the famous Lady of Cadix, a feminine face sculpted in marble. Around them, the archaeological section exhibits Phoenician, Punic and Roman objects from all the province, witnesses of the richness of this land since Antiquity. Upstairs, the museum reveals a superb collection of baroque painting, with notably works by Zurbarán and Murillo, to be contemplated with attention. The last level is devoted to local traditions, including the historic puppets of the Tía Norica, emblematic of Gaditan humour and the carnival. The entrance, located on the other side of the building, is free for European citizens: a fine occasion to plunge into three millennia of history in the very heart of Cadix. Rich and accessible, the museum offers a striking panorama of the past of the town. A museum of history and a Phoenician treasure, the museum of Cadix is a fine stop of the discovery of the town.

What to see

Here you discover one of the great museums of Cadix, on the Plaza de Mina, that retraces three millennia of history; on the ground floor, the famous Phoenician anthropoid sarcophagi, unique in Spain, including the Lady of Cadix; upstairs, a superb collection of baroque painting by Zurbarán and Murillo; on the last level, the puppets of the Tía Norica. The entrance is free for European citizens. The museum of Cadix is a treasure of the town. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The museum of Cadix lies on the Plaza de Mina, in the heart of the historic centre, reachable on foot. The entrance is generally free for European citizens; the opening hours follow those of the establishment and vary, it is best to enquire before coming. You discover it during a walk in the centre.

What to see at the museum of Cadix?

Its most famous pieces are the Phoenician anthropoid sarcophagi, unique in Spain, including the Lady of Cadix, a feminine face sculpted in marble discovered in 1980; the museum also presents a rich Phoenician, Punic and Roman archaeological section, a collection of baroque painting by Zurbarán and Murillo, and the puppets of the Tía Norica. The entrance is free for European citizens.

Where is the museum of Cadix?

On the Plaza de Mina, in the heart of the historic centre of Cadix, in Spain.