Zamora Museum

On the Plaza de Santa Lucía, the provincial museum tours the history of Zamora, from Prehistory to the 20th century. It is a quiet, cheap, one-hour visit that helps you understand the city before going round its churches.

The building

The museum occupies the Palacio del Cordón, a 16th-century noble house in the lower town, near the Duero, and a new building put up next to it by the architects Luis Moreno Mansilla and Emilio Tuñón. It was their first work after leaving Rafael Moneo's studio, was finished in the late 1990s and won several awards. The church of Santa Lucía, opposite, was restored and works as a visitable store for the museum.

What you see

The collections are divided into two sections. Archaeology runs from Prehistory to the Modern Age, with pieces found in the province, and Fine Arts brings together sculpture and painting from the 14th to the 20th centuries. A separate room tells the history of the city of Zamora, and is a good starting point if you only have one day.

Opening hours and admission

From 1 October to 30 June it is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00 and Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00; in summer, the afternoon is from 17:00 to 20:00. It is closed on Mondays. It costs €1 and on Saturday and Sunday it is free. On the first weekend of each month there is a guided visit on Saturday at 17:30 and Sunday at 12:30. For questions, the phone number is 980 516 150 and the email [email protected].

Getting there and what to combine

The Plaza de Santa Lucía is in the lower part of the old town, between the upper city and the river: from the Plaza Mayor you walk down in about ten minutes. When you leave, the Stone Bridge and the mills are close, and going up, the churches of the Romanesque Mile. If you are interested in rural life, the Ethnographic Museum, beside the Plaza de Viriato, rounds off the visit.