Museo de Valladolid, Archaeological and fine arts museum in Valladolid, Spain

The Museo de Valladolid is an archaeology and fine arts museum housed in the Palacio Fabio Nelli, a 16th-century Renaissance palace in the center of the city. The building has an elaborately carved stone facade and an open courtyard that organizes the interior spaces around it.

The museum was founded in 1879 and later moved to the Palacio Fabio Nelli, which had previously served several different functions over the centuries. The palace itself dates to the 16th century, a period when Valladolid briefly served as the capital of Castile.

The palace is named after Fabio Nelli de Espinosa, whose line ended without descendants, after which the building passed to the Real Casa de Misericordia of Valladolid. The main facade is crowned by a split pediment framing the coat of arms of the first Marquis of Vega de Boecillo, Fabio Nelli's great-grandson. The palace later served as a storehouse for French troops during the War of Independence and as offices of the city customs house.

The museum sits in central Valladolid and is easy to reach on foot from most of the old town. It is worth checking opening hours before your visit, as they can vary depending on the time of year.

The archaeological collection includes objects found in the area around Valladolid that show the region was inhabited long before the Romans arrived. Some of these finds come from settlements that left almost no trace above ground, making the museum one of the few places where their existence is documented.