National Museum of Archaeology

The National Museum of Archaeology (Spanish: Museo Arqueológico Nacional; MAN) is Spain's national archaeological museum, located on Calle de Serrano beside the Plaza de Colón in Madrid. Founded in 1867 by Royal Decree of Isabella II, it is one of the National Museums of Spain and is attached to the Ministry of Culture. The museum shares its building with the National Library of Spain and ranks among the most important archaeological institutions in the country, attracting approximately 500,000 visitors annually.

The museum was established on 20 March 1867 by a Royal Decree of Queen Isabella II, serving as a depository for the numismatic, archaeological, ethnographical, and decorative art collections of the Spanish monarchs. This act fulfilled a long-standing ambition, following an unmaterialised proposal by the Royal Academy of History in 1830 to create a museum of antiquities. The institution was originally located in the Embajadores district of Madrid before moving to its purpose-built neoclassical home in 1895, designed by architect Francisco Jareño and constructed between 1866 and 1892. Significant renovation and extension works in 1968 considerably increased its area. The museum underwent a major closure from 2008 to 1 April 2014 for comprehensive restructuring, reopening as a four-storey, light-filled exhibition building with approximately 10,000 square metres of space. This renovation cost over 51.7 million euros and expanded the usable area from more than 19,000 to 23,303 square metres, with improved accessibility for disabled visitors. The museum has been directed by several notable figures, including Juan de Dios de la Rada y Delgado (1894-1900), José Amador de los Ríos (1900-1916), Martín Almagro Basch (1968-1981), and Martín Almagro Gorbea (1998-1999). In the 1940s, a restructuring transferred American ethnography pieces to the Museum of the Americas and foreign pieces to the National Museum of Ethnography and the National Museum of Decorative Arts.

The museum's collection is fundamentally centred on archaeological materials from the Iberian Peninsula, spanning from Prehistory to the Early Modern Age. Its holdings also extend to significant collections from outside Spain, particularly from Ancient Greece, including both metropolitan and Magna Graecia materials, and to a lesser extent from Ancient Egypt and the Near East. The reorganised permanent display now distributes approximately 13,000 objects across forty galleries. A particular strength lies in numismatics, with a department holding roughly 300,000 coins, of which about 1,000 are on display. The collection structure reflects both the royal accumulations that formed its original core and subsequent acquisitions through archaeological excavation, purchase, and donation.

The Protohistory galleries on the first floor contain exceptional Iberian sculpture from southern and southeastern Iberia, including the iconic Lady of Elche, a 56 cm limestone bust from the 5th or 4th century BC discovered in 1897 at La Alcudia near Elche, notable for the 18 cm spherical cavity in its back that may have held offerings or relics. Also featured are the Lady of Baza, a polychrome stone statuette from the 4th century BC discovered in 1971; the Lady of Galera, a 7th century BC alabaster figurine; the Bicha of Balazote; the Bull of Osuna; the Sphinx of Agost from the late 6th century BC with Hellenistic influence; and the reconstructed Mausoleum of Pozo Moro from the late 6th century BC. Other significant Iberian works include the fragmentary sculptures from Porcuna, the Griffon of Redován, the Lioness of Baena, the Acrobat of Osuna, and an iron wheel from Toya. The Talaiotic bulls of Costitx, the torque of Ribadeo from the Castro culture, and the Lady of Ibiza, a 47 cm clay figure probably representing the Carthaginian goddess Tanit from the 3rd century BC, represent other cultural spheres. The Treasure of Aliseda, a 6th century BC Tartessian-Phoenician gold hoard of 62 pieces discovered in 1920, includes a belt, diadem, earrings, bracelets, torques, seals, and a cup. Roman Hispania is represented by the Marquis of Salamanca's collection, acquired in 1874 with pieces from Paestum and Cales, and by the Lex Ursonensis, a set of five bronze legal inscriptions from Osuna discovered in the 1870s. The Late Antiquity section holds the Visigothic hoard of Guarrazar, including the votive crown of King Recceswinth, and the Sarcophagus from Astorga. Medieval Christian kingdoms are represented by the Arca de las Bienaventuranzas, the Crucifix of Ferdinand and Sancha, and the alabaster praying statue of Peter I of Castile, transferred from Madrid's Convent of Santo Domingo el Real in 1868. The al-Andalus collection features the pyxis of Zamora from Medina Azahara, the deer fountain from Medina Azahara, the marble ablution font of Almanzor, and two Alhambra vases. Near Eastern holdings include a diorite head from Mesopotamia donated by Mexican collector Marius de Zayas to the Prado Museum in the 1940s and later deposited at the MAN, and a Praying Sumerian figure purchased at Christie's in 2001. The forecourt contains a 1960s replica of the Cave of Altamira, created using photogrammetry to reproduce the famous paintings on a mould of the original cave.

The museum occupies a neoclassical building designed by Francisco Jareño, constructed between 1866 and 1892 specifically to house the institution. Located on Calle de Serrano adjacent to the Plaza de Colón, it shares the structure with the National Library of Spain. The 2014 renovation transformed the building into a four-storey, light-filled exhibition space, with covered patios accommodating the library and internal services. The architectural adaptation prioritised public circulation and accessibility, with modern technological equipment and full adaptation for disabled visitors.

The National Museum of Archaeology is situated on Calle de Serrano beside the Plaza de Colón in central Madrid, near the Prado Museum. As one of Spain's National Museums under the Ministry of Culture, it operates with modernised facilities following its 2014 reopening. Visitors enter at basement level, proceeding through the prehistory section before ascending to the thematic galleries. The museum's official website is https://man.es. The institution's present role combines public exhibition with ongoing research and conservation, continuing its function as the principal repository for Spain's archaeological heritage while maintaining significant international collections.