Museo de América

Although it may seem a distant history, Spain was once one of the most powerful countries in Europe, ruling a vast empire overseas in the Americas. During the 15th century, Spanish vessels began to cross the Atlantic Ocean carrying missionaries and conquistadors alike to explore territories previously uncharted by Europeans. As a result of the encounter between the Spanish and the Amerindians, many sacred artifacts were pillaged from the original indigenous inhabitants of the Americas and carted off to showcase for the European nobility.

The Museo de América in Madrid exhibits these cultural artifacts from the autochthonous civilizations, portraying the heritage of a previously unheard of continent while at the same time providing fascinating insight into the logistics of imperial Spain. Some of the museum’s highlights include ceramics, statuary, jewelry, instruments used for hunting, fishing, and war, in addition to some of the paraphernalia used by the colonizers.

Given the Latin American geek that I am, I was particularly excited about visiting the museum. In the end, we dedicated several hours to peruse the items on display, but I guess it is like they always say, time flies when you’re having fun!

If you’re interested in learning more about the collection at Museo de América, visit the following url address:

http://museodeamerica.mcu.es/seleccion.html