national museum of sculpture

I wouldn't normally like these type of places but this is definitely worth a visit. Some amazing sculptures to be viewed. Not a big place, only takes 20mins to get round which is long enough for me!

Valladolid an hour train ride north of Madrid was the heart of Catholic Spain with a rich liturgical history and a spectacular example of this is its National Museum of Sculpture with its jaw-droppingcollection of religious polychromatic wooden sculptures dating back to the 13th Century. Its treasure trove of wooden ceilings, altarpieces, and choir stalls, and the works of Alonso Berruguete, a 'modernist' way before its time illustrates beauty trumping orthodoxy. The collection is housed in the pure monastic quarters of the Collegio San Gregorio where the "Valladolid Controversy" happened in the sixteenth century when Dominicans and Franciscans debated for the Pope whether the native peoples of the newly discovered American had souls or not.

So completely charmed by Valladolid we decided to visit the main attraction and were amazed and in awe of it. Quite a fantastic display of 15 and 16th century sculptures one room after another. It really warrants a visit. The pride of the many staff whom we met was remarkable.

I was not expecting this to be so incredible a collection despite a recommendation from the conservation department at the Prado. Many of the works are 3-4 centuries old and are in pristine but original condition. It's an easy day trip from Madrid by train. Don't miss this, you'll be amazed.

This museum is housed in a beautiful building with bizarre sculptures on the facade intended to represent the unknown beings who lived in South America. Inside, there is room after room of beautiful sculptures. A mediaeval fan like me might feel a little short-changed, but there is lots of interesting material from several centuries.

Beautiful! A must see! Valladolid should be on all the tour stops and would like to see it added to more tour guide books.

A must when visiting Valladolid; it is inside of the most beatuful buidings of the old "San Gregorio" It is beautifully kept. The museum shows mostly wooden polychrome sculptures from the 15th century untill the 20th century from some of the best sculputeres ever. Many of the pieces shown come from Churches and some are used for the Holy Week.

Valladolid was the shining star of Spain 500 years ago, but since Madrid took over it´s enthusiastically torn down its architectural heritage and raised up some real monstrosities. Still, there are a few jewels left in the old crown... and the sculpture museum is the big diamond! This is not a collection of lumpy steel things, or welded-together beams, or bronze mermaids. This is mostly Spanish religious sculpture, the sweet-faced stiff virgins, the twisted Mannerist grotesques, the bleeding hearts and crucified Lords that live at the heart of the Spanish character. There are tons of religious statues in churches all over Spain, sure, but these are the best of the best, displayed in well-lighted settings that let you get up close and see the amazing craftsmanship and artistry that are hidden in the shadows of dark, dusty altarpieces. If you see only one thing in Valladolid, see this. I go back, over and over, and always discover something new and wonderful and sometimes weird!

Worth a day at least and a return visit and that despite the fact that the rubrics are only in Spanish. With a Iittle Latin and either French or Italian it is possible to make some sense , but that notwithstanding, the quality of the exhibits and their presentation make this an outstanding venue.Ian

The most stimulating and powerful collection of religious and devotional statuary I have ever seen. Really well presented, explained and displayed. I learnt more in one visit than I have for years. Some surprisingly 'modern' concepts are actually medieval.

This is an excellent museum, with much to see. The wood carvings, while artistically not entirely to my taste, are beautifully crafted and a great way to see a way through history. There is a short leaflet in English and English guideboards in each room, so its perfectly possible to understand what you're seeing, unlike some of the other museums we've seen on this trip.There are some excellent ceilings to gaze at, so you shouldn't forget to look up in every room you go in.There's also a good collection of choir stalls too. In another room ,you can see examples of the processional statues used in the various religious festivals. It's quite sobering to realise that these big pieces are carried by groups of men through crowded streets and again, there's plenty of information to understand what you're seeing.It's free on Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings, and only €3 at other times. The actual building, the Colegio de San Gregorio is absolutely outstanding on the outside, with some incredible carvings of wild men on the facade. You can spend hours looking at it.So, the museum is great, but I find the presence of the museum attendants incredibly intrusive. I'm sure they're trying to be helpful, but they follow you round every room and in the first couple of rooms, tried to tell us which way to walk around the room to look at the exhibits. It was okay at first, but after a while, it became really irritating as we were basically followed everywhere - even to the extent of doubling back when we doubled back to look at something we missed out. This seems to a feature of Valladolid museums.The Casa del Sol was open when we went there, but the Palacio de Villena wasn't open. The Casa del Sol is worth going to, to see the various copies of famous sculptures and a good explanation of the importance of copies in art.

Hosted in a former convent and church, this museum is a real must for any scultpure and art lover. It is situated in the middle of the historic city and the quiet atmosphere of this area seems to reach inside the museum. You will have a lovely time.

The most important collection in Europe of polychrome wood carvings from 13th century to 18th century

Fascinating sculptures inside a beautiful, big building - absolutely the number one attraction in Valladolid.

Well worth a visit. Fascinating sculptures. Some really poignant and intriguing. The only thing I did not like was being chaperoned in every room by museum staff but I totally understand why! Just felt like I was being watched all the time.There are really helpful guides written in English for you as you move between the rooms and all the displays have both Spanish and English explanations. We only paid 3 euros for the visit which is excellent value. Don't forget to look up as well as around you as the ceilings are amazing too!