Naval Museum

A cultural heritage site of the Ministry of Defense, this museum—located in the Navy Headquarters on the Paseo del Arte—houses more than 3,000 pieces, distributed across nine rooms, which bear witness to the history of the Navy and, therefore, to the maritime history of Spain. This museum is characterized by its richness and diversity. Of particular note, due to their importance, are the collections of ship models, maps, and nautical instruments, which are among the best in the world. Its origins date back to 1792, thanks to an initiative of the Secretary of the Navy under Charles IV, Antonio de Valdés y Fernández Bazán, who proposed the creation of a maritime museum that would bring together all the sciences necessary for the training of the Navy Corps. This project materialized in 1842. After being housed in several locations, the museum was inaugurated in 1932 at its current location, which also housed the Ministry of the Navy, occupying the first floor of the building. In 1976, an annex was built to expand the Navy Headquarters, thus doubling the exhibition space of the original museum. In 1992, the center underwent its penultimate renovation, and after a two-year closure, the latest refurbishment was completed in 2020, providing the museum with modern facilities that improve accessibility and the layout of the exhibition spaces. The museum's collections, arranged chronologically in its galleries, include more than 12,000 pieces characterized by their richness and diversity. Among them are the world's finest collections of ship models and maps, as well as collections of astronomical, scientific, and navigational instruments, fine and decorative arts, weapons and flags, uniforms and decorations, nautical equipment, ethnographic artifacts, and personal belongings of illustrious sailors. Of particular note among these objects is the beautifully illustrated parchment map by Juan de la Cosa, the earliest known cartographic representation of the American continent. The navigator and cartographer created it in 1500 after having traveled to America three times accompanied by Christopher Columbus. The collections on display are the result of contributions from various institutions and organizations, such as the Royal Household, the former Secretariat of the Navy, the defunct Naval Midshipmen's Companies, the peninsular naval departments and the naval stations in Cuba and the Philippines, the Hydrographic Office, the Royal Naval Observatory of San Fernando, and the Hydrographic Institute of Cádiz, in addition to subsequent purchases and donations from individuals or various entities.