Museu de Valls | Valls Museum

About Museu de Valls | Valls Museum

The Valls Museum, Museo de Valls is themed similar to the MEV museum in Vic dedicating itself to to preservation and display of mainly religious sculptures and paintings. But unlike the MEV, the Valls Museum dedicates itself to artists from or around the Valls, Tarragona area.

The Valls Museum has its origins in 1909 when the Valls Town Council wanted to create the Museum of Art and Antiquities. By the 1940s the first objects were gathered with the first rooms being inaugurated in the Castle building in 1954. In 1970 the museum moved to it's current building. Donations to the museum were made by Cèsar Martinell and Maria Galofré.

Inside the museum, the first area focuses on the Gothic and Renaissance period with works by the painter Jaume Huguet (Valls, 1412 - Barcelona, 1492). As you enter his area, look up at the ceiling to see the large polychrome beams from the beginning of the 15th century. They are from the old convent of Carmen, which the Museo de Valls has preserved and which have been recently restored.

The second section contains works from the Baroque period and the famous lineage of the of artists and sculptors Bonifaç or Bonifás. First was Lluís Bonifaç, a French sculptor born in Marseille, who settled in Barcelona and then in Valls. He died in the nearby town of Riudoms, in 1697, being succeeded by his son Lluís Bonifaç i Sastre (Barcelona 1683 - Valls 1765). The following generation of two sons Lluís (1730-1786) and Francesc Bonifaç i Massó (1735-1806), both born in Valls were artists. This section also mentions the composer Jaume Casellas (Valls 1690 - Toledo 1764).

The next section of the museum contains artists from the 1800s, a period of decadence in the town of Valls. Francesc Guasch Homs (Valls 1861 - Barcelona 1923), Bonaventura Casas Pàmies (Valls 1861 - Barcelona 1907), Anselm Nogués (Valls 1864 - Barcelona 1938), and Francesc Galofre Oller (Valls 1864 - Barcelona 1942) who has a large painting 5 metres wide by 3m high called Bòria Down occupying a prominent place in the museum.

The last section of the museum contains pieces from the 20th Century by architect Cèsar Martinell (Valls 1888 - Barcelona 1973), the photographer Pere Català Pic (Valls 1889 - Barcelona 1971), the painter and jeweller Jaume Mercadé (Valls 1889 - Barcelona 1967) and the musician Robert Gerhard (Valls 1896 - Cambridge 1970).

Image Gallery for Museu de Valls | Valls Museum

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Visiting Museu de Valls | Valls Museum

The Historic collection of Museu de Valls is on the first floor of the building. The second floor contains an open temporary exhibition space. When I visited this contained works by local contemporary artists that specialise in cartoons, events posters and striking colourful social commentary pieces.

Tuesday: 17:00h to 20:00h
Wednesday to Saturday: 11:00h to 14:00h & 17:00h to 20:00h
Sunday & Festive days: 11:00h to 14:00h
CLOSED: Monday's, 1st and 6th January, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Monday, 11th September, 25th & 26th December

I recommend visiting this museum as part of the Fiesta Calçotada held in Valls on in January every year. Allow 45 minutes to one hour to fully explore the museum.

What to take with you for Museu de Valls | Valls Museum

To visit Valls for the Fiesta Calçotada take a warm jacket and wear sensible shoes for the uneven pavements in the centre of town. A small bag for hauling any wine, Calçots and sauce back to Barcelona.