Santa Cruz Museum, Toledo, Spain

The Museum of Santa Cruz was an important hospital which was converted into a museum in the 19th century.

The hospital was founded by Cardinal Mendoza at the end of the 15th century to centralize assistance to orphaned and abandoned children in the city. It has a remarkable Plateresque portal, work of Alonso de Covarrubias. The building has a Greek cross plant and four courtyards, two of which were completely completed. The first is of Covarrubias and gives access to the upper floor through a three-ladder staircase.

The museum has two floors. The cruiser covers the two floors and is covered with ribbed vaults. In the north arm was located the chapel. The museum has sections of Archeology, Fine Arts and Decorative Arts. The Fine Arts funds are distributed on the first and second floor of the building, and those of archeology, in the Noble Cloister and in an underground floor. The Decorative Arts have a sample of Toledan folk handicrafts, which is also located on the floor of the basement.

References:

Wikipedia

Museums in Spain

User Reviews

Jake L (9 months ago)
A lot of the museum was closed when I visited, but it is worth the (free) admission price for the quiet, peaceful courtyard. Note that food and drinks must be placed in a locker by the entrance (1 EUR deposit).

Alex Cheyne (10 months ago)
When I visited much of this museum was closed off (I think in transition between exhibitions), however the three elements I was able to see left me happy to have been. These were a lovely cloister and stairway, a (I think) permanent collection of ceramics, and a temporary exhibition of beautiful paintings by a chap called Juan Berenguel. I also managed to visit on one of the free days. Lovely.

Seokjin Ham (11 months ago)
There are so many places to go in Toledo that you might miss it. However, if you go, you won't regret it. Best of all, there are relatively few people here. Tickets are free until December 31, 2024.

Mark Atkins (14 months ago)
Excellent museum in central Toledo. Fascinating collection of art and artifacts from Toledo's history. Well laid out and explained in Spanish and English. Lovely central courtyard in historic building. Free to enter as well!

Sophia S (14 months ago)
Free museum. It’s essentially all Catholic paintings and figures in the main hall. I preferred seeing the garden, which had four or five pillar remnants with Quranic verses, and the exhibits upstairs, which included a ceramics section. Please note that if you have a bag, you need to carry it in the front of your body. Alternatively, you can pay 1 euro to rent a locker.

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