ART MUSEUM

Housed in a former ^17th-century convent, this museum can be considered Spain's second largest art gallery. It houses over a thousand paintings, as well as drawings and sculptures. Particularly renowned for its exceptional collection of Sevillian Baroque works, the many great artists on display include Sevillian painter Valdés Leal, Zurbarán, Murillo, El Greco, Francisco Pacheco, Herrera the Elder, Van Dyck, Veronese, Goya and de Morales. Numerous sculptors are also present: Torrigiano, Montañés, Roldán, de Mena... and a fine series of Flemish paintings from the ^15th and ^16th centuries. The first floor is devoted to Spanish medieval art, Renaissance art, Mannerism, Naturalism and the Sevillian Baroque school, with many works by Murillo. Each time you move from one room to another, a panel reminds you of the elements that make up the styles on display. An opportunity to review or learn new things about art history, the indications are simple and didactic. The upper floor is devoted to Baroque painting in general (Room VI), Murillo and his disciples (Room VII), Juan Valdés Leal (Room VIII), European Baroque painting (Room IX), Zurbarán (Room X), and Spanish painting through the centuries, from the ^18th to the ^20th century. Bartolomé Esteban Murillo's works include Saint Jerome the Penitent, Vision of Saint Francis, Virgin and Child and Adoration of the Shepherds. And for Zurbarán, some exceptional works such as Crucifixion, Triumph of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Saint Hugh in the Refectory and Christ Crucified Expiring. The museum itself is worth a visit, however, as it is the former convent of La Merced Calzada de la Asunción, demolished in the ^12th century to make way for a new complex designed by architect Juan de Oviedo y de la Bandera from 1603 onwards. The monument now occupied by the museum blends the Mannerist style with early Baroque influences. The patios with fountains, the high ceilings and the luminosity of the place promise a delightful visit.