TRAVEL GUIDES DIRECTORY: GIRONA SPAIN FIGUERES

MUSEUMS

Teatre-Museu Dali

The town of Figueres' most famous son is none other than the surrealist expert Salvador Dali. It is only fitting that his home town have a grand museum that is wholly dedicated to the late master. His museum is housed in the former theater of Figueres, which was destroyed in the bombing during the Spanish Civil War. Today, it is one of the most visited museums of the world - a veritable mecca for the lovers and artists of surrealist art.

The museum first opened its doors in 1974, with numerous expansion efforts through the mid-80s. It houses the single largest and most diverse collection of Dali's works in the world. Also on display are works by other artists that were collected by Dali, such as works by El Greco and Marcel Duchamp. There is also a small gallery devoted to the works of Dali's friend and fellow Catalan, Antoni Pitxot.

Salvador Dalí is buried in a crypt in the museum's basement.

Narcis Monturiol Memorial

This is a memorial dedicated to the late Narcis Monturiol, the inventory of the world's first combustion-powered submarine. The Ictineu I ( fish-ship 1 ) was launched in September of 1859 at the harbor of Barcelona. Despite his invention which set a worldwide precedent, Monturiol died a poor, unknown man in 1885 in Barcelona.

The memorial is found in the Rambla , the town center of Figueres.

Museu del Joguet de Catalunya (Toy Museum of Catalonia)
Address: Hotel Paris, C. Sant Pere, No. 1, Figueres.
Telephone: 972 504 585

The Toy Museum is a national place of popular culture. It was inaugurated in 1982. Today, the museum has in its exhibits more than 4000 toys of all shapes, kinds, and sizes, ranging from play kitchens to automobiles to action figures to tops. Some of the toys on display belonged to prominent figures in Figuere's history, such as Salvador Dali, Josep Palau Fabre, Joan Brossa, Federico Garcia Lorca, and many others. A visit to the Toy Museum is truly a wonderful and nostalgic affair for both the young and old.
Empord Museum
Address: Rambla, No. 2, Figueres, Girona.
Telephone: 972 502 305

Notes: Open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 11am to 7pm, and on Sundays and public holidays from 11am to 2pm. Closed on Monday.

Empord Technical Museum