You are in: Home / Art / Interior Cathedral Tour / Diocesan Cathedral Museum

Diocesan Cathedral Museum

Certain works of art that are not dedicated to worship are kept in the museum, mainly paintings from the 15th to the 18th century, whose authors are, among others, Juan de Juanes (16th century) and Goya (18th century). You can also see the beautiful monumental monstrance of the procession of the Corpus Christi, chiselled in golden silver (1940-1954), the biggest in the world (it is five metres high and weighs 600 kilos), as well as the original gothic images of the Door of the Apostles.

The Museum

The current Diocesan Cathedral Museum of Valencia had its origin in the Antique Museum or Valentian Diocesan Museum created by the Archbishop Andres Mayoral in 1761. This museum was set up in the Archbishop's Palace till it disappeared during the French invasion in 1812.

The Diocesan Archaeological Museum of Valencia was created towards the end of 1922 on the initiative of Cardinal Enrique Reig Casanova, wishing to gather together all the works scattered across the diocese in an organized collection open to the public. At first, the Diocesan Museum continued in the Archdiocese Palace in the Almoina Square, next to the metropolitan church. During the Civil War (1936-1939), the Palace and the Museum were destroyed. Some of their pieces are kept in the Cathedral.

In 1954, the Chapter and the Archbishopric inaugurated the Cathedral Museum in order to catalogue and exhibit in a more reasonable and accessible way some antiques of great value of the Cathedral collection. At the same time, they could showcase the materials for the excavation and the architectural elements removed in the recent alterations of the Cathedral.

Towards 1966, the Archbishop Marcelino Olaechea, ordered the Cathedral Museum to become also in Diocesan Museum, gathering up all the works of both institutions. A new building was constructed next to the Cathedral with a unique access from its interior. The “Treasure” hall is in the Basilica though it is directly communicated with the Museum.

Selected works

In the First Hall we can see the original sculptures of the Door of the Apostles and the scene in relief of the masterpiece by the artist Alejo de Vaia, the Dormition of the Virgin Maria, among other works of Gothic sculpture. Panel paintings of the 15th century such as The Doubt of St. Thomas by Marsal de Sas (1400), St. James the pilgrim, by Maestro de Perea (Master of Perea); St. Benedict and St. Idelfonso by Jaume Baço, The Transfiguration by Maestro de Bonastre and also some more panels by Reixach and other artists from that period.

In the centre of the Second Hall we find a showcase in which there are painted figures made of golden terracotta representing the Circumcision of the Lord (16th century). We also find works such as The Adoration of the Shepherds by Filipo Pablo de San Leocadio, St. Dionisio by Rodrigo de Osona el Viejo, the great panel of The Insults by Maestro de Alzira and the triptych of St. Narcissus among other works of the first Renaissance in the 16th century.

The Third Hall is dedicated to the Renaissance Mannerism where we can see some remains of the decoration of the great organ of the Cathedral, St. Vincent the Martyr and St. Vincent Ferrer by Maestro of Alzira, a predella of the Lamentation for the death of Christ by Fernando Yaez de la Almedina, a Holy Supper, an Eucharistic Saviour and the Guardian Angel of the Valencia Kingdom, among other oil paintings on panel by Joan de Joanes.

The Fourth Hall is devoted to the precious items of goldsmithery. The image of the Virgin Mary in reliquary (early 15th century) is of great importance. It is made of golden silver which was recently attributed to the Valencian silversmith Bartolomé Croylles. Not less important is the image of St. Peter in silver reliquary. It is also exhibited the current processional monstrance made between 1940 and 1954 by Francisco Pajarón Suay in collaboration with other Valencian silversmiths. In the same hall, there is a painting by José Vergara, “The Pietà” and another one by Vicente López Portaña, “The Adoration of the Shepherds”, both of them of great size.

The Fifth Hall is the chapel of St. Francis Borgia. The retable bears an 18th century canvas by Salvador Maella showing the conversion of the Duke of Gandía, shown dressed as a knight of the order of St James, raising the cloth which covers the face of the dead Empress Isabel. Seeing her body inspired him to become a Christian so that he could serve a master who would not die. On either side, on the retables embedded into the wall, are two large, richly coloured and powerfully religious canvases by Goya. The one on the left shows St Francis Borgia leaving his family to join the Jesuits, and on the right we see him watching over a dying man who refuses to repent his sins; this is the first time we see the demon-like beings that appeared so often in Goya's images.

back  back to top print next