Museo Nacional de Cerámica

Top choice in Valencia


Inside a striking palace, this ceramics museum celebrates an important local industry. Downstairs (which also features a decadent hand-painted 1753 carriage) you can learn about the history of ceramics from baroque to modern, with great information that's albeit sometimes a little difficult to relate to the pottery on display. Upstairs, historical ceramics are cleverly dotted with modern works, but the sumptuous, over-the-top interiors, ornate stucco, chinoiserie, damask panels and elaborate upholstery pull plenty of focus. It's an outrageous rococo extravaganza.

Look out for a fabulous painted ceiling from the original building. The modern top floor has details on ceramics production and a porcelain collection from the Alcora factory, which, along with Manises and Paterna, was an important local production centre. Porcelain and other ceramics are still huge in the Valencian region.


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