Cáceres Museum and its Arab cistern

What it is

The Cáceres provincial museum, opened in 1992, occupies two buildings of the monumental city: the Casa de las Veletas, at Plaza de las Veletas 1, and the Casa de los Caballos, joined together. The Casa de las Veletas was the Almohad alcázar and became a palace at the end of the 15th century; under its floor is the Hispano-Muslim cistern from the 11th and 12th centuries, one of the best preserved on the peninsula and one of the few remains of the alcazaba. The Casa de los Caballos dates from the 16th century: it was a stable and later a home.

Warning: the cistern is under works

In July 2025 the Junta de Extremadura reopened the Casa de los Caballos after two years of renovation and, at the same time, closed the Veletas Palace and the cistern to begin the second phase of the full restoration, the first major renovation in more than forty years. The aim is to recover the double reading of the building: the Christian Renaissance palace and the Almohad defensive complex of the cistern. The Junta has not published a reopening date, so if you are coming for the cistern, call 927 010 877 first or write to [email protected] to find out whether you can go down yet.

What you can see now

The Casa de los Caballos holds the fine arts section in a renewed chronological tour. On the ground floor there are pieces from Prehistory to the 18th century, with medieval and modern sculpture, metalwork and painting; the best-known work is El Greco's Saviour. On the upper floors, sculpture, painting and installations from the 19th to the 21st centuries, with Spanish and Extremaduran artists and work by Picasso, Miró and Tàpies. With the reopening, 31 pieces never shown before were exhibited. When it reopens, the Casa de las Veletas will recover the archaeology and ethnography sections, with medieval collections and Roman inscriptions in the basement beside the cistern.

Hours and price

The Junta gives for the Casa de los Caballos Tuesday to Friday 9:00 to 15:00 and 16:00 to 20:00; Saturdays and public holidays, 10:00 to 15:00 and 16:00 to 20:00; Sundays, 10:00 to 15:00. It is closed on Mondays, and access closes ten minutes earlier. Turismo de Extremadura publishes a slightly different afternoon timetable depending on the season, so confirm by phone if you go late. Admission is free for citizens of the European Union; for everyone else, €1.20, and it is also free for under-18s, students, over-65s and pensioners. There are guided visits, booked on the same phone number. Guide dogs are allowed.

How to combine it

Plaza de las Veletas is at the top of the monumental city, a few minutes from Plaza de San Jorge. Allow an hour. The museum is also part of the Activa Tours full tour, which advertises the visit to the cistern; with the works, ask when booking which part is seen.