Sala Verónicas exhibition hall in Murcia

Art and cultural exhibitions in an 18th century monastery chapel

The Sala Verónicas exhibition room is inside the old Convento de Verónicas in the centre of Murcia, next to the marketplace which bears the same name on the northern bank of the River Segura, and is one of the city’s most interesting artistic and cultural exhibition venues. In the past it has been privileged to display works by some of Spain’s greatest artists, including Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró and Antoni Gaudí, its focus geared towards some of the more interesting contemporary artists working in Spain today.

The setting for the exhibitions held in this building is a baroque monastery church dating back to the 18th century, when such constructions proliferated in Murcia (others include the Cathedral, the Palacio Episcopal and the churches of San Juan de Dios, Santa Ana and Santo Domingo) providing an atmospheric backdrop in which art installations can be viewed. The area in which it is located was a much appreciated part of the city centre at the time, and next door to it are the best-preserved section of the Moorish city wall and the large covered market-place.

Despite the splendour of this setting, the building has only been restored relatively recently. In 1981 the entire monastery complex was declared a ruin by the Town Hall, and in 1985 a demolition order was issued for the whole complex except the chapel, the choir and the cloister columns. At the same time plans were approved to create a public space where the Moorish city wall and its immediate surroundings could be preserved, and in 1990 an archaeological dig began to establish more about the history of buildings on this site.

The wall alongside is now used as a setting for cultural events and gives an indication of just how substantial the original Moorish walled city of Mur-siya actually was.

The exhibition area itself was opened in the late 1980s.

Normal opening hours:

Tuesday to Saturday between 10.00 and 14.00 and from 17.00 to 21.00

Sundays and public holidays between 10.00 and 14.00.

Entry free of charge.

Address: Calle Plano de San Francisco, Iglesia de Verónicas, Murcia

Telephone: 968 215142

Click for the Veronicas marketplace next door
Click for map: Calle Plano de San Francisco, Murcia