Last updated September 2022
As promised, I am writing on Casa Lis in more detail, it deserves it. The main thing that struck me about Casa Lis was the beauty of the building, both outside and inside. The museum unfortunately doesn’t allow photographs to be taken which means that this post won’t look as beautiful as it could. You will just have to trust me when I say that is is truly stunning. Or check out the museum’s website and social media channels – links below.
So what is it? It is a museum dedicated to Art Deco and Art Nouveau so the building itself and the collection all date from the early 1900s to approximately 1950. There is an impressive collection of porcelain, glass, dolls, toys, ivory statues and a lot more. I really enjoyed perusing the collection, I had never seen a collection like it before and everything was stunningly beautiful.
The building itself was built in 1905 by Joaquín de Vargas Aguirre. It is in the Modernist style. It was commissioned by the owner Miguel Lis, hence the name, Casa Lis, meaning, Lis’ House. The building stands out from the majority of those in Salamanca as they are made from stone, mostly sandstone, and many of them are in the Plateresque style. Here, the building favours iron and glass, giving it a more elegant, modern look. The architect also designed Salamanca’s Market (Mercado Central) where he also used copious amounts of iron and glass, see the photo below. So in other words, Casa Lis really stands out from the other buildings in the city. It is stunning, both during the day and the night. At night, when it is lit up you can really appreciate all the colours of the glass.
There is a big difference between the architecture of the front and the back of the building. The back is made from stone and is less impressive than the front, although it is still very beautiful. It is very near the cathedrals and it is where the visitor entrance is, see photo below. Unfortunately, the dragonfly light was only there for the winter, it is not there all year.
Now, let’s move inside the building. After you buy your ticket you will enter the inner courtyard. It is gorgeous. It also consists of iron and coloured glass and the ceiling is a little reminiscent of the night sky but with so many beautiful colours. Thankfully, there are benches so I was able to sit here and try to absorb all the details, it took a lot of time. If all I did during my visit was just to sit here and enjoy the view, I would have considered my money very well-spent. However, there is a lot more to appreciate than just the building, there is a large collection of unusual, beautiful objects that span 2 floors. I enjoyed all the rooms and all the collections but I think my favourite was the chryselephantine collection – art made from ivory and gold. I think one of my favourite objects was Amantes by Ernst Seger. This is a statue of two lovers, it is in the room beside the café.
Yes, there is a very nice little café in the museum! It doesn’t have a huge selection but it definitely serves drinks and some bocadillos (sandwiches). It is very pretty, in the Art Deco style, as I hope you can see from the photograph below. It is a very nice place to sit for a while. You are allowed to take photographs in the café, just not in the museum itself.
TIP: The view from the rooms on the second floor of the river and Roman Bridge are amazing.
NOTE: If you want to buy a postcard you must go to the ticket desk; the shop doesn’t sell any postcards.
You can enter the shop without buying a museum ticket, it has a separate entrance. There is also a second museum shop very near the Plaza Mayor.
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:
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
Wi-Fi:
Yes, there is Wi-Fi but it is password protected, you must ask for the code.
Toilets:
Yes, on the Ground Floor.
Café:
Yes, also located on the Ground Floor.
Can I take photographs?
No, only in the café.
I really hope you enjoy your visit as much as I did!
