5 . T H E
N A T I O N A L
A R C H A E O L O
G I C A L
M U S E U M
CALLE DE SERRANO, 13
The National Archaeological Museum was founded in
1867 by Queen Isabella II , following the European
trend of creating great national museums to exhibit
the evidence of each nation ’ s past . Its founding
satisfied the demand for a major institution where
the collections of historical artefacts scattered
among various establishments could be brought
together under one roof with the aim of documenting
the entire history of Spain , from its beginnings to the
present day , and offering an overview of ancient
civilisations from around the world .
The idea took hold thanks to the advances being
made in archaeology at the time and to a growing
awareness of the incalculably valuable cultural
heritage which , as a result of invasions , wars and
government confiscations , was at risk of disappearing
and required protection .
The new museum ’ s mission was to collect , preserve
and study these assets and make them available to
the general public for their edification and
instruction .
The museum collection was formed through different
types of acquisitions based on the nature of the
artefacts and frequently marked by the political ,
cultural and legislative circumstances of the day .
The 1867 decree that led to the creation of the
museum stipulated the allocation of an initial
collection comprising exhibits from the Museum of
Medals and Antiquities housed at the National Library
archaeological and ethnographic artefacts from the
Museum of Natural Sciences , and the entire
collection of the School of Diplomatics . These early
collections were soon augmented by numerous
bequests and the purchase of important private
collections owned by people such as Manuel de
Góngora , José Ignacio Miró , José de Salamanca and
Eduardo Toda .