Ceramics Section of the Museum of Zaragoza

Ceramics Section of the Museum of Zaragoza occupies the historic Casa de Albarracín building inside Parque José Antonio Labordeta in Saragossa, and holds one of the richest pottery collections in Spain.

How do you get there?

The building stands inside Labordeta Park, a quiet green area away from the bustle of the old town. It's a short walk from the historic center and La Seo cathedral, and the park is well served by city buses. The location makes it easy to pair a visit with the nearby Casa de Ansó, home to the same museum's ethnology section.

What's the story behind the building?

Casa de Albarracín was built as part of a 1956 project that originally planned five houses, each representing the traditional popular architecture of a different Aragonese region. Only two were ever completed: Casa de Albarracín and Casa de Ansó. Following a museum reorganization in 1990, Casa de Albarracín became the permanent home of the Museum of Zaragoza's ceramics collection, which had previously been held elsewhere.

What will you see inside?

The exhibition centers on the classic decorated pottery traditions of Muel, Teruel, and Villafeliche, workshops that have shaped Aragonese ceramic craft for centuries. Alongside them are everyday pottery pieces from workshops scattered across the wider Aragon region. The museum also holds pieces from Spain's other major historic pottery centers: Manises in Valencia, Talavera de la Reina and Puente de la Reina in Toledo province, Alcora in Castellón, and Buen Retiro in Madrid, plus European pieces from manufactures in Sèvres, Choisy-le-Roi, La Rochelle, and Sunderland.

A particularly distinctive part of the collection is the domestic pottery once used daily in rural Aragonese households from the late 19th to the 20th century. These pieces fall into two traditional lines: ollería, fire-resistant vessels sometimes glazed, and cantarería, jugs and containers decorated with a characteristic red painted pattern. The collection represents nearly fifty different regional pottery workshops, making it one of the most complete records of traditional Aragonese pottery-making.

When should you visit?

Since the building is small and intimate, visiting outside peak hours lets you take in each room without crowds. Because the museum sits inside a park, a stroll through the grounds is most pleasant in spring and autumn, when Saragossa's temperatures are gentler than in the height of summer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is the Ceramics Section of the Museum of Zaragoza located? Inside the historic Casa de Albarracín building, within Parque José Antonio Labordeta in Saragossa.

Is this the same institution as the main Museum of Zaragoza downtown? Yes, it's a branch of the same museum, the Museo de Zaragoza, dedicated specifically to ceramics and housed in a separate location from the main building.

What's the highlight of the collection? The decorated pottery from Muel, Teruel, and Villafeliche, along with the unique collection of Aragonese folk pottery — ollería and cantarería — from nearly fifty regional workshops.

Is it worth combining with another nearby museum? Yes — the neighboring Casa de Ansó, in the same park, houses the museum's ethnology section, so both can be visited in a single walk.