The institution today

The Cerralbo Museum is owned and managed by the State through the Subdirectorate General for State Museums, a division of the Directorate General for Fine Arts and Cultural Property, which in turn belongs to the Ministry of Culture. The Museum is also protected and supported by its own foundation.

The purpose of the museum is to conserve, document, research and disseminate the legacy of the 17th Marquis of Cerralbo, Enrique Aguilera y Gamboa (1845-1922) a distinguished late-19th-century politician, historian, archaeologist and collector, and his family. His legacy includes the palace where he lived with his family as well as the varied collections they gathered during his lifetime, in addition to his library and archive.

The museum also aims to play an active role in Madrid's cultural schedule and to offer, both on its own and in collaboration with other institutions, a programme of cultural activities of interest to different sectors of the public, promoting the arts and literature from the 19th to the 21st century.

Its main objectives are:

To document, research, interpret, conserve and disseminate the collections left to the State by the Marquis of Cerralbo and his family, as well as to highlight the value of the intangible heritage linked to the history and collections of the palace, within its historical, social and cultural context.
To ensure the conservation and preservation of the Cerralbo Palace and its original setting, and to conserve and scientifically study the cultural assets that comprise it.
To be a meeting place for museographic, scientific and cultural activities related to the world of house museums, history, art history, archaeology, decorative arts and other cultural productions from the period between 1845 and 1927, and from the Museum’s one hundred years of service to date.
To establish links with other institutions and house museums at a national and international level.
To establish links with the urban environment and our neighbourhood.
To create a lively, dynamic museum that prioritises reflection, enjoyment and high-quality outreach.
To support and welcome today’s artistic productions.
To contribute to sustainability and reduced public spending policies within a general framework of responsible consumption.
To promote the development of a cultural programme (concerts, artistic creativity workshops, etc.) that favours personal development, well-being and quality of life.
To promote physical and cognitive accessibility, as well as the participation of all people in the museum.

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