The Seville Museum of Fine Arts will experience a major enlargement, formalized on July 7, 2025 by the Ministry of Spanish culture and the Junta of Andalucía (Regional Government of Andalusia). This project will bear the surface of the museum from 5,900 m² to 13,500 m², thanks to the integration of the Palacio de Monsalves and the former public library of Calle Alfonso XII. The objective is to allow the exposure of a larger number of works, currently limited to 20 % of the collections, and to offer new spaces for mediation, conservation and public services, such as a cafe, a bookstore and educational workshops.
Catering reserves and workshops are now insufficient for the conservation of works, and the museum lacks adapted spaces for temporary exhibitions. In addition, accessibility and upgrading are now a priority to improve the reception of visitors. The project also provides for a reorganization of the museum route and the creation of new technical and logistical spaces.
The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Seville, founded in 1835 and installed in the old convent of the Merced Calzada, occupies a building mixing mannerist and baroque architecture. He retains more than 1,300 works, including important sets of Zurbarán, Murillo, Valdés Leal, Velázquez, El Greco and Goya. The last major renovation of the museum took place between 1985 and 1993, to put the building to museum standards of the time.
The enlargement project mainly involves the Spanish Ministry of Culture, which finances the operation, and the Junta of Andalucía, responsible for the daily management of the museum. This distribution of skills, specific to the Spanish institutional model, requires close coordination between the two administrative levels. The implementation of the enlargement thus required almost fifteen years of discussions and negotiations. A first agreement was signed in 2010, but the project was delayed by political changes, coordination difficulties and financing issues. The formalization of 2025 marks the culmination of a long process, with a forecast calendar which extends to the bicentenary of the museum in 2035. There is not yet an announced closure date.
The Seville Archaeological Museum is also the subject of an integral renovation, amounting to 33.7 million euros and a planned duration of 40 months. This site mainly aims to rehabilitate the historic building and the modernization of the facilities. The two projects pursue common objectives: improve conservation, accessibility and cultural offer, while meeting the expectations of contemporary audiences.
