Last updated September 2022
Salamanca is well-known for its history, beautiful buildings, delicious restaurants and exciting night-life. BUT it also has a lot of interesting, beautiful art – much of it being completely free. This post compiles my favourite artistic places and artworks in Salamanca, the list is by no means exhaustive but it does show my favourites. I am only focusing on art, not architecture, as there is too much to discuss there – that is another story completely, or perhaps I should say, another post completely!
So in no particular order the list is as follows:
- Casa Lis (Lis’ House) – Salamanca’s Art Deco and Art Nouveau Museum
- Cielo de Salamanca (Sky of Salamanca) – A beautiful mural depicting zodiac signs, famous figures, animals and more
- Convento de San Esteban (St. Stephen’s Convent) – The best convent to visit in Salamanca, it has its own museum containing religious artworks
- Toro de Piedra (Stone Bull) – A pre-Roman sculpture
- Museo de Salamanca (Museum of Salamanca) – Salamanca’s museum of history, art, archaeology and more
- Barrio del Oeste – Salamanca’s free urban gallery in the western area of the city
Casa Lis
Casa Lis is one of my favourite museums of all time. The building itself is stunning, both inside and out, and the collection is fascinating. It has an impressive collection of porcelain, dolls – especially some strange looking German ones – glass and more. They even have a Fabergé egg, it’s very beautiful! There is definitely enough to see and enjoy to keep you busy for two hours. And they have a café too!
I will absolutely be writing on Casa Lis in much more detail soon so stay tuned!
Address:
Calle Gibraltar, 14, 37008, Salamanca
Opening times:
Summer times (15 March – 15 November)
Monday to Sunday: 11:00 – 20:00
Winter times (16 November – 14 March)
Monday: Closed
Tuesday to Friday: 11:00 – 14:00 and 16:00 – 19:00
Saturday and Sunday: 11:00 – 20:00
Website:
https://www.museocasalis.org/nuevaweb/
Social media:
Admission fee:
Adults: €5
Students and OAPs: €3
Unemployed: €1
Children under 14 years: Free
Note: You cannot pay with credit card, it must be cash.
Cielo de Salamanca
Although this is mostly a photograph of the sky of Salamanca, this is not the sky that I am talking about. Cielo de Salamanca is a mural of zodiac signs, animals and more. It is truly beautiful and it is on display in such a peaceful place. You can enter for free, sit and just enjoying staring at the beautiful art. Unfortunately, you are not allowed take photographs so I hope my words will be enough to encourage you to go! But as it is free and central there is really no reason not to drop by at the very least.
It is also located in the university, meaning you can see a lot of important sights very easily! it is located in the courtyard of Escuelas Menores. It is a little hard to find but it is worth it. With the the famous façade of the university behind you, head past the statue of Fray Luis de León until the end of the courtyard and then go left into the next courtyard, Patio de Escuelas Menores (the photograph above shows this courtyard). The entrance to Cielo de Salamanca is at the back of the courtyard, you’ll see a sign on the door. Anyone can enter, not just students of the university. It is usually empty or with only a few people so it is a lovely place to relax.
Address:
Patio de Escuelas Menores de la Universidad de Salamanca
Opening times:
Monday to Saturday: 10:00 – 14:00 and 16:00 – 19:00
Sunday: Closed
Admission fee:
Free
Convento de San Esteban
As you should be able to guess from the photo, the convent is beautiful and absolutely worth a visit. I will be writing on it in some detail soon but for today, I will only be talking about its artworks.
In the Upper Cloister, beside the Choir, there is a museum that contains a collection of religious clothes, sculptures and paintings – the most famous being Reubens’ Mother and Child. The museum entry is included in the convent admission fee so it is well worth hopping into while you are there.
Address:
Plaza de los Basilios, 37008 Salamanca
Opening times:
Summer hours (30 March – 3 November)
Monday: Closed
Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 – 14:00 and 16:00 – 20:00
Sunday: 10:00 – 14:00
Winter hours (5 November – 29 March)
Monday: Closed
Tuesday – Saturday: 10:00 – 14:00 and 16:00 – 18:00
Sunday: 10:00 – 14:00
Website:
https://www.conventosanesteban.es/
Admission fee:
Adults: €4
Students, OAPs and for groups over 20 people: €3
Toro de Piedra
Moving away from painting, this is a different type of art completely – sculpture. This granite bull is one of the oldest items you can see in Salamanca so for that reason alone it is well worth checking it out. And as it’s outside, it’s free to see and you can go anytime of the day!
The bull was not always in this prominent spot by the river, it was neglected, spent a bit of time in the river, but is now thankfully recognised as an important part of Salamanca’s history and it is placed in a central location to prove it.
There are better preserved examples of such animal sculptures in the nearby province of Ávila. They are called Los Toros de Guisando.
Location:
Beside the Roman Bridge (Puente Romano)
Museo de Salamanca
The Museum of Salamanca has been housed in many different buildings over the years, including St. Stephen’s Convent (Convento de San Esteban) and the famous Shell House (Casa de las Conchas) but it has been in its current location since 1946.
This wouldn’t be my favourite artistic place on the list but it is still interesting and worthwhile to do if you have the time. There are a large number of paintings and sculptures here and the building itself is impressive, with a Mudéjar ceiling in one of the rooms. This type of architecture is a fusion of European and Islamic ideas. For more about Mudéjar architecture you will have to read my posts on Zaragoza, some of the best Spanish examples are to be found here and are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The entrance to the museum is also a little hard to find, even though it is in the university courtyard, behind the statue of Fray Luis de León. You will see a sign on the door. You must go through the door, buy your ticket, and then go through another set of doors which lead to a little courtyard. Go through the courtyard and then you will enter the museum building proper. The museum celebrates the art, archaeology and history of Salamanca.
It normally costs but I got in for free because it was a Sunday!
Address:
Plaza Patio de Escuelas 2, 37008 Salamanca
Opening times:
Summer hours (July to September)
Monday: Closed
Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 – 14:00 and 17:00 – 20:00
Sunday: 10:00 – 14:00
Winter hours (October to June)
Monday: Closed
Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 – 14:00 and 16:00 – 19:00
Sunday: 10:00 – 14:00
Website:
https://museoscastillayleon.jcyl.es/web/jcyl/MuseoSalamanca/es/Plantilla100/1258120721523/_/_/_
Admission fee:
Adults: €1
Students, children (under 18), unemployed: Free
Free Saturday and Sunday
Barrio del Oeste
I have already written on Barrio del Oeste, you can read about it HERE, but it is well worth mentioning again. It is a really beautiful and fun part of Salamanca as it is a gallery of street art, open to everyone. The art project started in 2013 but it has increased in size over the years. I think the best way to experience it is to explore the area with your eyes open, you will see a lot of art and colour without taxing yourself too much! The art is on both walls and garages so keep your eyes peeled!
Location to begin:
Plaza del Oeste
So there you have it, my favourite pieces and places of art in Salamanca! I hope you will agree that these are all special for different reasons. Let me know if you have a favourite in the comments!
