Museum

The museum is located on the first and second floors of the main building of the Sanctuary, over looking the interior patio know as the Jardí de les Magnòlies (The Magnolia Garden) and the patio of Bishop Campins.

It was inaugurated in 1952 with an archaeological collection and a display of the gifts offered to the Virgin over the centuries. In 1971 don Antoni Mulet i Gomila donated his collections from CaŽn Mulet in Génova to the Museum, which included local costumes, pottery, religious images, traditional furniture, jewellery and paintings.

In 1984, with the celebration of the centenary of the Coronation of the Virgin the museum expanded with the addition of a considerable acquisition of modern art and sculpture, which was further extended to include rooms dedicated to the work of Josep Coll Bardolet who made 2 donations of his works in 1989 and 1995.

The Collection Bujosa Rosselló was created in 2004 to display Mallorcan textiles, as well as the objects and machinery from this family firm.

The Museum consists of 8 rooms: Archaeology (Room 1), Treasury (Room 2), Mallorcan Chamber (Room 3), Sacred Imagery (Room 4), Ceramics (Room 5), Josep Coll Bardolet (Room 6), Art Gallery (Room 7) and Textiles (Room 8).

Visiting hours: From 10.00 to 14.00 daily (except Saturdays). Groups wishing to visit outside these hours can call 971 871525 or send an email to museu@lluc.net.

Entrance fee 4 euros (2011). Special prices for groups.

Collection I. Archaeology

The visit to the museum starts with display case containing the Roman coin collection of Lluc, which includes over 300 coins from different eras of the Roman occupation.

At the entrance to the Archaeology Collection there is a tribute to Cristóbal Veny, Missionary of the Sacred Hearts and retired curator of the Museum of Lluc, listing the digs directed by him, including the Wreckage of the Sec and the prehistoric caves around Lluc, especially Sa Cometa dels Morts. From this particular cave we can see on display many funerary artefacts, including one of the wooden coffins found there. There is a second one in the Museum of Archaeology in Madrid.

There are 8 display cases in this room. The first six are dedicated to the pre-Talayotic and Talayotic cultures in Mallorca. Of the other two, the first contains pieces form the collection of Antonio Mulet from the Punic- Ebusitanian culture; and the Furió collection of Talayotic, Greek and Roman pieces including plates, candlesticks and funerary artefacts. The final display case contains the Greek ceramics found at the wreck of the Sec, and nails from the ship.

There is also a display of Roman and Punic amphorae from the Roman ship wrecked off the coast of Cabrera. Also on display are the lead ingots which were the cargo of this ship, on which you can clearly see the identification marks of the different lead mines.

Finally, a columbarium recreates the layout of niches and type of urns typically used in a Roman burial.

Collection II. Treasury of the Virgin

From the Archaeology Collection we move on to the Treasury of the Virgin. The name refers to the origin and purpose of the objects, made from precious metals such as gold and silver and decorated with jewels, in order to be dedicated to the Virgin of Lluc. Some of the objects have a liturgical purpose, whilst others are typical accessories of Mallorcan women such as jewels and fans. They are displayed in 8 cases.

At the far end of the room there are two display cases dedicated to objects used for the worship of the Virgin. The case of the left contains sacred objects such as chalices and reliquaries, and a Lignum Crucis dating from the first half of the 16th Century. The case on the right hold objects dedicated to the adornment of the Virgin, including the crowns for Virgin and Child which were purchased by popular subscription by the people of Mallorca in 1884, and the velvet tunics, embroidered with gold thread that were presented by Queen Isabel II. There is a further display of votive offerings, giving thanks for help granted by the Virgin.

Displayed in the centre of the room are items dedicated to the Virgin, including the gold plated monstrance by Antoni Falconer, dating from 1499, as well as over 30 literary prizes, military sashes, commemorative medals, etc.

Collection III. Mallorcan Room

This part of the museum aims to recreate the bedroom of a wealthy Mallorcan family. It is dominated by the Baroque style 4-poster bed, and also contains an Arabic style chest, a rococo cabinet, a neo-classic dressing table with mirror in the corner, a 17th century Maltese chest of drawers, and two armchairs. There is also a display of 19th century male and female accessories including stockings, waistcoats and items of underwear, taken from the Mulet collection. Other items can be seen on the 4 dummies, representing a Mallorcan and an Ibizan couple. The final part of the collection is made up of the type of traditional female costumes, which can also be seen in the paintings on the walls of the Treasury of the Virgin.

Collection IV. Sacred imagery

A large part of the collection of sacred imagery is made up of Nativity Scenes. There are 8 in total (including two which have been lent on various occasions to national exhibitions) all creations of the workshops of the Mestre de les Verges Rosses (18th century) and Santet (19th century). All these pieces are important both for the workmanship, and from a socio-historical point of view.

There are also eight paintings of the birth of Jesus, some of which have until recently, been in storage.

Continuing with the same theme, incense, the gift of King Caspar to the baby Jesus, is represented by twenty five bronze incense holders from the Mulet collection, all dating from the High Middle Ages. In the same display case there are various alms bowls, including 17th century bonze bowls, decorated with painted wooden figures, and two Central European bowls dating from the 16th and 17th centuries.

The collection continues into a second room where there are two display cases. The first contains representations of the birth of Christ, in pottery, marble and alabaster, from various workshops in Mallorca and beyond, all dating from between the 14th and 17th century. In the second case there are Medieval and Baroque carvings in painted wood.

Collection V. Ceramic collection

he Lluc ceramic collection is one of the most complete and interesting on the island. It is on public display thanks to the generosity of Antoni Mulet.

There are three sections with pieces divided according to their origin. The first section is dedicated to Mallorca and is made up of around forty green and black plates in the pincel de Inca style, all originating in Inca and Palma and dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. There are also some early 20th century pieces, in the Savona style, from the La Roqueta factory and some pieces from the mid to late 19th century in the “embroidered” style of Felanitx.

The next section is made up of earthenware from Valencia and Cataluña: of particular importance are the 16th and 17th century metallic effect plates.

There is also a separate case given over to late 18th to mid 19th century objects from the Catalan workshops of La Bisbal and Can Falló (Gerona) and Mataró. From Barcelona itself are the late 18th and early 19th century plates which were influenced by the French style.

There are some beautiful early examples of work from the La Alcora factory, including one 18th century piece by the ceramic painter Francesc Grangel. Also from the region of Valencia is a display of around 30 tiles dating from the 14th to 19th centuries.

The third part of the ceramics collection is dedicated to objects from the region of Aragon, including examples from Teruel, Muel and Vilafeliche. Of particular importance are the 16th to 18th century blue ceramic pieces, as well as the green and black pieces which date from the 16th to the 19th century.

The collection of imported ceramics mainly comprises of Italian earthenware from Montelupo (16th century), Burgio (17th century), Savona (17th century) and Pisa. There are also some interesting items from Delft (Netherlands) dating from 1750.

Collection VI. Josep Coll Bardolet

This room is dedicated exclusively to the work of Coll Bardolet.

Josep Coll Bardolet (Campdevànol, 1912 – Valldemossa 2007) donated a total of 236 works to the Museum of Lluc. They display a diversity of themes and techniques. The first part of the collection was opened in 1989 thanks to the collaboration of the Association of Antics Blauets. The new and definitive collection was opened on 10th September, 1995 and is made up of the Coll Bardolet Collection of portraits, drawings, guache and water-colours.

Collection VII. Art Gallery

Retracing our steps back through Room III, on the left hand side there is a stairway to the upper floor, where the art collection of the Museum, consisting mainly in the work of local artists, is displayed. The collection includes works by Buades, Mayol, Mestre, Ribas, Cerdà, Hubert and Anckerman amongst others. There are also works by non-Mallorcan artists, including the lovely “Sóller Cemetery” by Santiago Russiñol. Almost all the works are from the 19th and early 20th century, although there are some portraits and still lives from the 17th and 18th century.

Collection VIII. Textiles

The textile collection begins with a display of four creations by young Mallorcan designers, including Xisco Caimari, who was educated at Lluc.

Moving on, at the centre of the room is a hand loom (circa 1800) from the workshops of Can Bujosa in Santa Maria. The loom is surrounded by other tools of the textile trade such as warps, distaffs, shuttles and combs as well as examples of tapestry and cloth produced by the workshop, some from the 18th century.

The following room includes a display of vestments from the sanctuary itself, as well as two cloaks made for the Virgin and Child from particularly fine materials.

There a large walnut chest with a display of 19th century linen and cotton underwear from the Mulet collection.

Rounding off the visit to the Museum is a collection of Christmas-themed siruells donated by the former Manager of the sanctuary, Josep Riera. The collection has been laid out by Brother Maciá Ripoll.