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Frederic Mares: the guy who made a museum with stuff he collected

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In Barcelona, there's one guy called Frederic Mares. He was collecting objects and stuff that he liked, donated it to the city of Barcelona and they made a museum in 1946 called Museu Frederic Mares. This guy collected all that he was interested in since his early childhood. For an Italian museum, check out Galleria Borghese in Rome.

This museum is considered a sculpture collection museum. He collected Christian art pieces, weapons, soldier figures, Victorian times lady equipment, instruments and so much more. He collected items from the pre-Roman times and until now. Some things are even from before that. Unlike usual collectors, Mares was a poor guy. Or, not so rich. Usually, it is the wealthy person who has the hobby of collecting miniature ships or similars.

It's full of objects that we don't really care about at times, and when we see it presented like this we are soul captured.

How he sustained himself

The reason he could afford to study sculpturing was that the state had money to pay for him. This guy was spiritual and religious. You can see that through his own art. His own art is inspired very much by religion, Gothic culture, and modernism.

Different floors, different things

You have different sections of the museum. The first floor is the oldest, and the further up you go, the newer the objects. For example, he has a section for 19th-century bourgeois women. That's not all. You will also find a toys section!

Fun fact: They have a super stylish cafe in the yard called Café d'Estiu.

Fun things you can do in the museum includes looking at the faces and see which faces looks like people you know.

Museu Frederic Marès
Museu Frederic Marès
Plaça Sant Iu, 5, 08002 Barcelona, Spania
Cafe D'estiu Barcelona
Cafe D'estiu Barcelona
Plaça Sant Iu, 5, 08002 Barcelona, Spania

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The author

Kai Bonsaksen

Kai Bonsaksen

I'm Kai from Norway. I always follow that little voice in my head that tells me to go and explore new places … and on itinari, I talk about the ones I know the best!

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