Lleida Museum
The Museum of Lleida, which incorporates the Lleida County and Diocesan Museums, opened its doors in November 2007 as the flagship of Lleida’s museums. A tour around its more than 7000 square metres of exhibition space provides a great introduction to the city’s history, starting with prehistoric times and continuing right through to the present day.
The works displayed at the museum come from the merger of two century-old collections and a desire to unite the items that represent the heritage of the city and its area of influence under one roof. One of these is the collection of sacred art from the Diocesan Museum, the most recent incarnation of the museum created in 1893 by Bishop Messeguer. The other is the archaeological collection of the Institute of Lleidan Studies (IEI), which traces its origins back to the Museum of Antiquities founded in the mid-19th century, whose collection passed into the hands of the IEI in 1942. The museum also houses the coin collection from the Provincial Council’s Numismatic Department, along with some pieces from the so-called Cathedral Treasure. Among the 974 works of art and archaeological pieces on permanent display at the museum are items from the Bronze Age (from the Genó site in Aitona), the Iberian Era (the Gebut site in Soses) and the Roman period (a Roman villa from Romeral, in Albesa).
There are also items from the Visigoth settlement at El Bovalar, including the outstanding baptismal font. Other interesting items include rock-crystal chess pieces from Ager (dating from the Fatimite period, 9th century), Romanesque altarpieces, stone sculptures from Seu Vella, the mural paintings of Pia Almoina, Gothic panel paintings from the Herrero studio, 14th century sculpture from what is known as the School of Lleida, and Flemish tapestries and clothes worn by Pope Calixtus III.
Contact
1 Sant Crist St.
Phone: 973 283 075
www.museudelleida.cat