Castilla y Leon Tourist Guide

MUSEUMS History, art and traditions are jealously guarded in the more than 400 mu- seums to be found in Castilla y León, providing an endless source of wealth and knowledge. The collections in- clude traces of the past (archaeology, numismatics, etc.), superb examples of ancient, modern and contempo- rary art (painting, sculpture and imag- ery, etc.), as well as the traditions and ways of life of the people that have lived there (ethnography, music, etc.). Yet Castilla y León is in itself an au- thentic living museum, boasting more than a hundred historic sites and over a thousand monuments declared to be of cultural interest and therefore the object of official protection. The Autonomous Community of Cas- tilla y León currently has four muse- ums run by the regional authorities: the Museum of Human Evolution in Burgos (MEH), the León Contempo- rary Art Museum (MUSAC), the Sabero Metallurgy and Mining Museum in the province of León and the Castilla y León Ethnography Museum in Zamo-

ra. There are also two regional cultural centres: the Centre for Artistic Cre- ation and Innovation housed in Sego- via’s Quintanar Palace and the Miguel Delibes Cultural Centre in Valladolid. Castilla y León boasts a wealth of cul- tural treasures of immense historic and artistic value. They can be ad- mired throughout the region thanks to the extensive network of provincial museums as well as local, diocesan and private collections and exhibi- tions. THE AGES OF MAN Also worthy of mention is the vast his- toric and artistic heritage conserved by the Church in Castilla y León. Fur- thermore, for more than 25 years, the Ages of Man Foundation, made up of the autonomous community’s eleven Catholic dioceses, has organised over twenty exhibitions that have attract- ed more than eleven million visitors, providing a magnificent showcase for Castilla y León’s rich cultural heritage and Spain’s most outstanding collec- tion of religious art.

USEFUL WEBSITES: Fundación Siglo para el Turismo y las Artes de Castilla y León: www.fundacionsiglo.es Museums in Castilla y León: www.museoscastillayleon.jcyl.es Museum of Human Evolution: www.museoevolucionhumana.com León Contemporary Art Muse- um: www.musac.es Castilla y León Metallurgy and Mining Museum: www.museosm.com Castilla y León Ethnography Museum: www.museo-etnografico.com Historical Heritage Foundation: www.fundacionpatrimoniocyl.es The Ages of Man Foundation: www.lasedades.es Cultural heritage: www.patrimoniocultural.jcyl.es

15

CASTILLA Y LEÓN. THE REAL LIFE

Contemporary Art Museum (MUSAC). León.