Picasso Museum – Eugenio Arias Collection

It is a small museum with a story of friendship behind it. Eugenio Arias was born in Buitrago in 1909 and worked in the village as a barber until the Civil War. He then went into exile in France and, around 1946, opened his barbershop in Vallauris, on the Côte d'Azur, where Picasso lived with Françoise Gilot. He was his barber and friend for 26 years, and what the painter gave him between 1948 and 1973 he donated to his home village in 1982.

What you see

The collection brings together about sixty pieces: ceramics, lithographs, exhibition posters, drawings, gouaches, pyrographs, photographs and books inscribed by Picasso to Arias. The Community of Madrid highlights an anthropomorphic amphora painted by Picasso, a plate with the dedication 'To my friend Arias' and a door painted with a bullfighting scene. It was the first museum created by the Community of Madrid and opened on 5 March 1985 in the basement of the town hall, at Plaza de Picasso, 1.

It can be seen in under an hour, and works well with children because of its size: it does not tire. According to the Community of Madrid, the museum is accessible to most visitors with physical, sensory or cognitive disabilities; inside only identified guide and assistance dogs are admitted.

Hours and price

Admission is free, as are the guided tours and temporary exhibitions.

• Tuesday to Friday: 11:00 to 13:45 and 16:00 to 18:00.
• Saturdays: 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 19:00.
• Sundays and public holidays: 10:00 to 14:00.

It is closed on Mondays, 1 and 6 January, Easter Sunday, 24, 25 and 31 December and on local festivals: in 2026, 14 August and 15 September. On Sundays, except in August, there is a free guided tour from 12:00 to 13:30 without booking. Hours may change for special events, so if you are going on a tight schedule call first on 674 381 275 or 918 680 056 (extension 4), or write to [email protected].

At Calle Tahona, 19, the municipal exhibition hall hosts temporary shows; the tourist office publishes its programme in the cultural agenda.

Getting there

Buitrago is about 75 km from Madrid by the A-1, exit 74. The 191 bus leaves from the Plaza de Castilla interchange. Leave the car in the municipal car park on Calle Tahona, next to the tourist office: you cannot park inside the enclosure.

What to combine

The museum and the wall with the Clock Tower fill a morning; watch out, because both are closed on Monday. Afterwards, a walk to the Arrabal bridge and lunch at the Asador Las Murallas.