Museo Nacional de Antropología (Madrid)

National Museum of Anthropology
Museo Nacional de Antropología

Museum's main facade
Established 1875
Location Madrid, Spain
Type Archaeological and ethnographic
Public transit access Atocha station
Website mnantropologia.mcu.es
National Museum of Anthropology
Native name
Spanish: Museo Nacional de Antropología
Location of National Museum of Anthropology in Spain
Location Madrid, Spain
Coordinates 40°24′28″N 3°41′20″W / 40.407694°N 3.688975°WCoordinates: 40°24′28″N 3°41′20″W / 40.407694°N 3.688975°W
Official name: Museo Nacional de Antropología
Type Non-movable
Criteria Monument
Designated 1962[1]
Reference no. RI-51-0001384

The National Museum of Anthropology (Spanish: Museo Nacional de Antropología) is a national museum of Spain, located in Madrid near the Parque del Buen Retiro and opposite Atocha railway and metro station. It is considered the oldest anthropology museum in Spain, formally inaugurated on April 29, 1875 during the reign of Alfonso XII.

History

Dr Pedro González de Velasco promoted his project of a museum of Anatomy and assembled the early collections. The focus later passed from physical to cultural anthropology.

Structure

Each of its three floors is dedicated to a different subject:

A collection of skulls from the beginnings of the museum.
A Peruvian example of pintura de castas ("caste pictures"), showing a Mestizo as the offspring of Mestizo parents.

A lecture hall allows performances of traditional music and dances and lectures.

References

External links

Media related to Spanish National Museum of Anthropology at Wikimedia Commons