Description of the attraction
The Municipal (Provincial) Museum of Avila, which was opened in 1911, is located in the Plaza de Nalvillos and occupies two significant monumental buildings of the city - the building of the Church of São Tomé el Viejo and Casa los Dines.
Casa los Dines House is an extraordinarily beautiful and unique palace built in the Renaissance style in the 16th century. It houses the main museum exhibitions detailing the history of Avila. The exhibits on the ground floor of the building show the development of the city's life and culture in different historical periods. Fragments of urban and rural life in the province have been recreated here. The rooms on the second floor are dedicated to fine arts; most of the collections presented here date from the 19th century. One of the rooms on the second floor displays a magnificent Flemish triptych dating back to the early 16th century.
The building of the ancient church of Sao Tome is one of the most striking examples of Romanesque architecture in Avila. Its western and southern facades are richly decorated with sculptural elements. A collection of artifacts found during excavations in Avila and in the surrounding areas are exhibited in the building of the Church of Sao Tome. Here are exhibits dating back to the prehistoric period, as well as from the Visigoths, Muslim rule, and the reign of Christian kings up to the 19th century. Here you can see tombstones and fragments of rare mosaics from the era of Ancient Rome, inscriptions, architectural elements, weapons and household items dating back to the Middle Ages, and much more.
