Museo de Art Nouveau y Art Déco

Museo de Art Nouveau y Art Déco is one of Salamanca's most distinctive sights, housed inside Casa Lis, an early-20th-century mansion that now holds thousands of decorative art objects.

Where does the name Casa Lis come from?

The building takes its name from Miguel de Lis, a Salamanca industrialist who built his fortune in the tanning business. He commissioned the residence to reflect his standing and his taste for modern design. Construction was completed in 1905, and the house stood out immediately against the rest of the city's architecture.

Who designed it, and what makes it stand out?

The architect behind the project was Joaquín de Vargas y Aguirre. He used materials considered industrial and unusual for a private residence at the time — glass and iron — combining them with modernist forms alongside more classical touches. The result is a north-facing facade regarded as one of the city's finest examples of Art Nouveau design, built around a glazed structure that lets natural light flood the interior.

How did a private house become a museum?

Casa Lis served as a private home for decades before its story merged with the collection of another Salamanca resident, Manuel Ramos Andrade. Over the years he assembled an extensive collection of decorative art and left it to the city. The museum opened inside the building in 1995, and it has presented that legacy to the public ever since.

What should visitors look for inside?

The building's central feature is a patio covered by a stained-glass ceiling made up of more than 2,000 pieces of leaded glass. Ramos Andrade himself designed the glasswork, and Catalan glassmaker Juan Villaplana carried it out. The way daylight moves through the ceiling throughout the day makes it one of the most photographed spots in the museum.

The collection itself totals nearly 2,500 pieces spanning two periods: Art Nouveau, covering decorative art from the turn of the 20th century up to the First World War, and Art Deco, the style associated with the interwar decades. Exhibits include glasswork, porcelain figurines, ivory and gold statuary, enamels, bronze pieces, paintings, furniture, jewelry, and toys, along with a Fabergé egg. A separate and particularly well-known section holds a porcelain doll collection considered one of the most significant of its kind in the world.

Who is this museum for?

Given its intimate scale and focused subject matter, Casa Lis works well both for visitors interested in decorative art and early-20th-century architecture and for anyone looking for a short but visually striking stop while touring Salamanca. Its location close to the historic city center makes it easy to pair with other nearby sights.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between Art Nouveau and Art Deco in this museum's collection? Art Nouveau refers to decorative art from the turn of the 20th century through the First World War, marked by organic, plant-inspired forms. Art Deco is the interwar style that followed, more geometric and restrained. The museum presents both periods as part of a single, unified collection.

Who assembled the collection on display? The pieces come from the private collection of Manuel Ramos Andrade, a Salamanca resident who left it to the city — it formed the basis for the museum that opened in 1995.

What's the building's most striking visual feature? The stained-glass ceiling above the central patio, made of more than 2,000 pieces of glass, designed by Ramos Andrade and executed by glassmaker Juan Villaplana.

Does the collection include anything besides decorative glass and porcelain? Yes — alongside glass and porcelain, the collection includes ivory and gold statuary, enamel and bronze pieces, paintings, furniture, jewelry, toys, and a Fabergé egg.